Redemption
by GreatMarta
Summary: To be edited!
1. Prologue: Sasuke's Story

,,Redemtion" by GreatMarta

_I remember the type you were_

_I remember the times we shared_

_But most of all that special bond I couldn't have with no one else_

_But suddenly I felt as if a knife was cutting through my back_

_I turned around and gasped in fear, cause there you stood_

_I refused to believe my eyes_

_Even when you rised up your sword_

_I jumped back crying from the pain_

_As you ran out the hell's havoc_

_But suddenly I took my pain and turned it into will to kill_

_One question burning in my head: Why did you do it?_

_Although far too much bitter words have been said_

_Though I'll never be strong enough to forgive you_

_Though the roads we chose couldn't've been more different_

_The same star kept on shining upon us_

_They say that the hope is mother of the fools _

_If it's so I'm more than proud to call myself a fool _

_Cause I still hope that one day the war will end_

_On the other side we'll find ourselves again_

_On the other side we'll be ourselves again _

Prologue : Sasuke's Story

They say all stories, that have ever been made, have their origin within a song. The origin of this one, however, lies within silence.

If you'd come to the Village of the Hidden Leaf for the first time, and decided to take a walk along the riverside, you'd most propably notice a man sitting on the gang-board. If you'd decided to take a closer look at him, you'd notice he was a handsome, young, raven haired, onyx eyed ninja. Why would you know he was a ninja? Simply, judging from the shuriken holster attached to his right leg, another one attached to his belt, and a forehead protector with the sign of leaf on it. If you knew anything about the Konoha ninja, you'd recognize the emblem on the back of his shirt: the fan. Crest of the Uchiha clan. You'd know this man was Sasuke, the Uchiha survivor.

If you'd spend some time on observating Sasuke, you'd notice he comes to the gang-board quite often, usually at evenings. He spends a lot of time just sitting there and thinking. While he sits, his sight is abscent. He is so drowned in thoughts, that he doesn't even notice snowflakes falling on his head. He doesn't move one bit. He doesn't shiver from cold. One would think somebody has turned him into a stone.

Such person would not be much mistaken.

In fact, somebody did ,,turn Sasuke into a stone". His own brother. Nobody knows why. Nobody knows how. Even Sasuke himself has no idea, what were his brother's motives for whipping out the entire clan and leaving him alone alive. But again, Sasuke doesn't care. He wants to think he doesn't care. He wants to force all of the humanity out of himself, so there was nothing left accept for hatred and the will to avenge his family. He swore to avenge it. To put the one, who turned his life into hell, to merciless justice. To kill his brother. To make him suffer, the way he had suffered during all those years. Alone. On his own. Against silence.

If you'd ask Sasuke, what he hates the most, he'd be sure to say: Itachi. But just as much as Itachi, Sasuke despised silence. This cruel, painful silence of an empty household. The silence, that kept on reminding him he has no family left. The silence of loneliness.

To avoid the silence, he would devote his life to training. To becoming stronger for all cost. Even for the cost of breaking all the bonds he had left.

So he allied himself with Orochimaru, the number one enemy of Konoha. He gave up on his life. His homeland. His friends. He was ready for all possible and impossible sacrifices, just to get his hands on Itachi. Even the fact, that Orochimaru was planning to take over his body, didn't scare him. If it would make him strong enough to challenge his brother, he wouldn't be in two minds about it.

There was only one ,,but". His friends would not give up on him. They'd do anything, just to bring him back. He couldn't understand that. After he threw them away, they would still want him? Still consider him as a friend? How foolish. Friends. Friends are nothing more than chains that were binding him, making him forget his true purpose. His revenge. True power can only be achieved, when you devote yourself to seeking for it. It's something, that you need to do alone.

That's what he was sure of, until he lost to Uzumaki Naruto.

Uzumaki Naruto was his closest friend. Was, until he betrayed the village. Naruto was a total looser, one that could mess up most basic jutsus and had a bowl of ramen instead of brain. He was an idiot, who's only talent was prank pulling. Concluding, he was less than zero. Despite all of the above, however, he had a special ability. Ability of changing people into good. He made one pessimist kid believe heroes do exist. He made one cowardly girl find inner strength in herself. He made one guy, who believed fate rules everybody's lives, let go of his trauma and see, that people make their own destiny. Sasuke couldn't understand, what was so special about Naruto. He couldn't, until he was forced to.

Back then, the situation was getting hot. The Akatsuki, the terrorists his brother was allied with, were striking, kidnapping the jinchuriki and taking over their demons. After the death of Sarutobi Asuma, the third Hokage's son, Konoha was in the state of open war against them. For Sasuke, it only meant a perfect chance to take an attempt.

But the attempt was taken at him.

He could barely remember the person who came to his room back then. He didn't even bother to stand up form bed or even look at her. Assuming from the voice, it was a woman. Not a very cultural one. She would mention ,,fuck" about every two words. He could barely sense her chakra. It seemed that she wasn't even a ninja. But now he knew she must've been very powerful. He couldn't tell when, she caught him in some genjutsu. It must've been genjutsu, what else? All of a sudden, he found himself invisible, standing in the very middle of Orochimaru's room. One of the legendary three was talking to his right-hand-man, Kabuto. They agreed it's about time to use Sasuke's body and how naïve the boy is to believe they would help him with his revenge. The only thing Orochimaru wanted was the ability of copying jutsus, that would make him the most powerful ninja in the world.

,,You won't be fucking able to fucking avenge your fucking family, if you stay with that fucking child molester" said the woman ,,I may fucking be just a fucking black sheep, but I fucking believe in your fucking intelligence" having heard those words, Sasuke woke up. He wasn't even sure whether the whole event was just a dream or not. The uncultural woman left just a single piece of yellowish paper behind. ,,_Uchiha-no Ho_" said the message written on it. ,,_Uchiha-no Ho_". The fire of the Uchiha.

Who was this whole ,,Fire of the Uchiha", how did she manage to sneak into the hideout unnoticed, why has she visited him, why would she care for him, he had no idea. She might've been a spy from Konoha, ordered to make him leave Orochimaru. But if she was, why wouldn't she kill him? This woman wanted to help him. To make him see Orochimaru was not going to help him with his revenge. But what for? She wouldn't just do it ,,for the heck of it". It was just too fishy. But somehow, Fire was convincive enough. Just in case, Sasuke left his master the following day.

For the next two years, he lived the life of a lone nukenin, escaping from his ex-master's minions and Konoha oinins, seeking new ways to gain power, which he could use against Itachi. He traveled all over the Country and fought many opponents of various kinds. He sometimes heard rumors about the situation of Konoha. As far as those were true, the battles were bloody, but the Akatsuki were slowly starting to loose especially since the Suna decided to give the Konoha a helping hand. It was good news, cause it meant that Itachi was loosing too.

Finally, in the 17th year of Sasuke's life, the critic point came. Konoha and Suna decided to defeat both Akatsuki and The Hidden Sound once and for all. A Great War was going on. And Sasuke decided to act. He had to send his brother to hell, before somebody else did it.

The young avenger couldn't find his desired victim anywhere. Instead, he came face to face with the number one hyperactive ninja in the world.

Uzumaki Naruto.

They fought. And Sasuke had to admit: the fight was worth his time. That guy, who once was the greatest baka of the village, was able to challenge him. He has developed many new techniques, and even appeared to be more mature than he used to, which was truly amazing. Amazing, but still, not enough.

Naruto soon was backed up by their teammate: Haruno Sakura. The Uchiha survivor had memorised the pink haired girl as a weakling. She was nice, kind, devoted and all such, but still, she was weak. Or, shall I say: She had been. Back then, he could see she improved a lot. Hell a lot. It should be no wonder, since the Fifth Hokage herself supervised her training. But to come this far? That was quite an achievement. For both teacher and student.

They fought long. They fought well. And while thye did, Naruto and Sakura would keep on telling Sasuke how much he means to them and how they would do anything to save him from the darkness he had drowned himself into. That was surprising. After all he's done, they would still want him back? They would still believe there was anything left from the Sasuke they knew? Those people. How else could he call them if not idiots?

Friends.

Analyzing the last few years of his life, he had to say: he was not happy. He was not satisfied. He hated his life. Her hated silence. He hated loneliness. But he had to live it. To avenge his family. To put his brother to justice.

But that was exactly what his brother wanted.

Sasuke promised to himself, that he won't be Itachi's puppet. That he would gain power in his own way. And that's what he's been doing for the last couple of years.

And, as he could see, that was also what his ,,friends" have been doing for the last couple of years. They were seeking power. Power to bring him back. Their goal was built with love. His was built with hatred.

In the end, he was the one confused. The one, that batlles always choose. The one who'd never be alright. The one who had to break his habit.

He wasn't entirely evil. He wasn't able to force all of the humanity out of himself. He was unable to become another Itachi. There still was a bit of the old Sasuke inside. The forgotten child, who just wanted to be loved and cared for. He would never say that openly. He would curse the old Sasuke. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not get rid of him. And he feared, that one day, this old Sasuke will make him break and give up. But deep in heart, he wished he could just be normal. As normal as he used to be before everything he held dear was torn apart right in front of him.

Because of the doubts the old Sasuke created, he had finally lost.

But that defeat was in fact a victory.

For a very long time, the hospital room in which he lied, has been the most guarded place in the entire village. Her pretendet to be in come. He could think. Make a plan. Make a decission. His friends have been there for him, bringing fresh flowers and fruits, in case he woke up and was hungry. They talked to him, or simply sat by his bed. More and more, he was feeling uncomfortable.

They told him, that they couldn't find Itachi's cropse. That meant he was still alive. Knowing this fact didn't make Sasuke feel much better.

In the end, he had to understand. He won't be able to achieve his goal on his own.

In the end, he had to stay.

If you'd see him sitting on the gang-board, you'd think he's very lonely. But if you waited a bit longer, you'd see a pink haired girl, or a blonde guy, or both, coming to him. The girl would bring him a jacket, which he forgot to take with. The guy would offer treating him for ramen in the local bar.

And, in the end, Sasuke would smile.

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NOTE: Okay, I'm ready. Tell me, how much this sucks.

InnerGM: And D-Man, don't spoil.


	2. The Chosen Ones

,,Redemption" by GreatMarta

_For it's out of the darkness that we learn to see_

_And out of the silence that songs come to be _

_And all that we dream of awaits patiently_

_There is life_

Episode 1 : The Chosen Ones

Nobody dared to move. Nobody dared to blink. In top secret, in the undergrounds of Hokage's tower, the unholy event was going on.

Inside a large, dark room, there was a circle drawn in the ground. Around the circle, the incense smoke rose. Inside the circle, in the very center, the main character lied.

Under the sight of exorcists, he felt naked. His young body, separated from heavy air with a single white piece of cloth tied around his loins only, hurt. He could almost feel the spirits of dead ninja crawling into his skin, drowning in his blood, touching him with their sweaty hands. And he could feel The Wolf.

The Wolf was somewhere there. His black fur componed with the darkness. Clutching. Drooling. Growling silently. His greatest fear. His curse. The Wolf with the scar above his right eye.

,,Dear Lord, release this poor, innocent child… Relief his suffering…" a voice was heard in the silence. The exorcists were starting to mumble their magic spells and songs. One of them came to the boy and poured some oily liquid into his mouth. It had no taste. It was supposed to put him in coma, so he couldn't feel pain. But the effect was so far different. He could feel everything. And the weaker he was, the least he could move or think straight, the closer The Wolf could come.

,,No… please…" the boy prayed. He could now feel the breath of his hunter on his bare skin.

,,Chosen One… Chosen One… " a new source of pain appeared. The head. The forehead. Above the right eye.

,,No…" the boy could not speak. He was feeling the curse with all senses. He could see the furry muzzle. He could hear it's growl. He could smell incense. He could taste blood. He could feel the big paw being pressed to his forehead.

,,In the name of Darapas…"

,,No… Ugh…"

,,…You shall be…" the paw moved.

,,Ugh…"

,,…The Chosen One…"

,,…"

,,…As might as me!"

SLASH!

,,WHAAAAAA!!!!!!"

* * *

Ryoka realized her eyes are open.

Strange thing, considering it was… looks at the moon… two o'clock at night? Weird.

Now, wait, what could wake her up? It was so sudden. Some familiar chakra. One, single blow. Unordinary fast. And so mighty. And it seemed she was the only to spot it.

She could feel the warmth and smell of an adult male's body next to her. Her man would be the first one to get up if anything that could possibly endanger the group would appear within a mile from them. From the fact he was still asleep, she assumed the chakra didn't came from any enemy shinobi.

She could feel the presence of one more adult man and two children. Everybody asleep. She knew she could trust her great experience and ninja skills, but she decided to get up and check on them anyway.

The woman rised up from the hammock she and her man were lying in, tied a few good meters above the ground, and moved to the tree nearby. Two hammocks were tied to it's branches. One carried a man. The man was fine. In the other one, two children, a girl in her mid teens and a boy in his early teens, lied. Both safe and sound.

Being sure her family is alright, the woman decided to go back in the Morpheus' embrace.

But first, she needed to pass water.

Shouldn't have drunk sake before going to sleep.

Ryoka let the laws of Physics do their job and peacefully broke the contact between herself and the branch, falling to meet the gravity face-to face. She landed on the ground, on two feet, without special problems. No wonder, since she was an outsider ninja.

Feeling no human beings apart form her family and herself within a mile from where she was, she decided to water the plants right where she stood.

Pants down, squat, activate the muscles around the blister…

Oh, what a relief…

Being done, she grabbed some leaves from a bush that grew next to her. Having spend most of her life on the outside, she knew exactly which types of plants she could use as a toilet paper. Those leaves were big enough, thick enough, smooth, clean, without any toxic elements and untouched by caterpillars or worse. Perfect.

,,A tissue?" she heard. She rapidly rised up her head. She saw a hand holding a pocket of tissues in front of her. The hand lead to the arm, the arm lead to the corpse. The owner of the corpse was her man.

She sighed.

,,I don't think I need that. I'm fine with what the nature has to offer." She explained, a little embarrassed for being caught on physiological acts.

,,If my plan goes well, we will no longer have to rely on the nature and what she has to offer for all the time. Besides, paper is made of wood, which makes it a nature's gift to people." Her man replied. Ryoka grabbed one of the tissues and used it.

,,I guess I should blame myself. I wasn't careful enough"

,,No matter how careful you'd be, I'd notice you are no longer lying by my side and automatically wake up. You can't help it, Ryoka. Your guy is programmed to guard the family 24/7" he assured her. The woman returned to standing position and pulled her pants up. She was half a head shorter than her man.

,,I expected no less from a living legend, my dear. As the head of the family, it is your job to ensure safety to us all. You do it quite well, I have to say. It's not like I can't stick up for myself though."

,,Sure. Now, what made you wake up?"

,,Nothing so special, just needed to pee."

,,Are you sure?" he insisted.

,,Well" she started ,,Maybe it was just a dream, but… I felt some strange chakra. A very familiar one"

,,Your parents?" he suggested.

,,No… It wouldn't be so strong… besides, I don't remember it" A bit of sadness entered Ryoka's expression ,,I was too young"

Her man put his hand on her shoulder.

,,Soon, Ryoka. Soon, you'll see them again. If my plan goes well, there will be no way for the Main House to get in the way." He promised. She brightened up a little. Only a little. The plan was good. But it required sacrifices.

,,A hostage for a hostage… I still don't feel entirely okay about putting the kids in the greatest danger."

,,We have no other choice. We would be easily recognized. We have to rely on the kids… we have to rely on Hro" his sight traveled up the tree, to the hammock in which two mixes between his and Ryoka's genes were sleeping ,,But there's no need to worry" he said, partly to Ryoka, partly to himself ,,That girl… she is a prodigy greater than even me"

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NOTE: Merry X-Mas you all.

InnerGM: Even if you don't celebrate it.


	3. Youkai

,,Redemption" by GreatMarta

How can you say I mean nothing after all I have done

How can you treat me as if were nothing more but a trash

I fear your sight

There is no respect for my life

When will you finally understand

That I have heart

Episode 2 : Youkai

If there is one thing everyone possesses, it sure is a name.

A name is the most normal thing in the world. Everybody has a name. Everything has a name. The first thing the God did after creating something was giving it a name. He named the Earth, he named the sky, he named the sun. He ordered Adam to name all of the animals. For what reason? Simply: the names assure order and harmony. Imagine you have to buy a piece of cheese. If it hadn't had a name, what would you say in the shop,,I want that yellow, stinky thing with lots of holes"? And now imagine, that absolutely nothing has a name. Scary perspective, isn't it?

We don't get to choose our names. It's something our parents do for us. They choose the names they like, and don't ask us for our opinion. Besides, even if they did, we wouldn't be able to answer. A name is a gift we receive at the very beginning of our lives, so it would follow us anywhere we go. Sometimes, we love our names. Sometimes, we hate them. For no reason. Just because. For most of the time, we don't really think about it. A name is a just name and that's it.

But in the case of Uchiha Kai, it is not that simple.

,,Youkai!" the father called from downstairs ,,Get your lazy ass down, move it!"

Kai curled tighter in his bed. It was so cozy and comfortable. The shuriken-patterned sheet was giving him so much warmth. He was feeling so nice. Yeah…

,,Youkai!" father called him again. Geez. It surely is not the time to get up yet. It just can't be. Kai reluctantly rubbed his eyes and reached out to get a hold of his alarm clock. He carefully took a look at it, praying it would tell him, that he still has a few minutes of sleep left. He regretted the action, for he let the merciless sunrays strike right into his pupils. It burned like fire and prickled like lighting, but at least he knew it was quarter past seven.

,,Youkai!" the door to his room rapidly opened ,,Come on, one more minute and dad will come to personally kick you outta bed!" Since Kai's eyes no longer hurt, he could use them to look at the boy, who entered the room. The boy had raven hair and emerald green eyes. He wore a blue, baggy T-shirt, with a crest of a fan on the back and knee-length, dark-gray pants. It seemed, that he is in a very good mood.

,,What an honor" with this sarcastic reply, Kai got up. He was the same height as his visitor. Apart from that, he had the same dark hair and green eyes. The facial shapes of the two boys were also the same. Putting aside slightly different hairdos: Kai's hair was more messy, about the only physical difference between the two was the scar above Kai's right eye. ,,You'd better hurry. Otherwise, I'm gonna eat all your pancakes" the scar-less boy giggled and left the room. Kai sighed and started undressing from his yellow, fan-patterned pijamas into a yellow T-shirt, on the back of which the fan crest was sewed, and his favorite, worn out, brown shorts with lots of pockets.

Kai and Ideo were identical twins. They looked very much like their father, with a slight touch of their mother. They both loved the green color, spicy food and ninjutsu. Both were rather silent types, but not in the same way. Ideo was simply a peaceful boy, an intelligent and mature one. Kai's nature was more mysterious, cool. Ideo enjoyed collecting shells and stones. Kai's hobby was music, both listening to it and creating it on his own. Were they getting along? Sometimes yes, sometimes not. Like all siblings.

When Kai finally took his place by the table, he was welcomed by his mother.

,,Good morning, Kai-kun" she kissed him on the forehead ,,You must've been having really nice dreams, since you didn't want to leave your bed, am I right?"

,,Yeah. In my dream, I was Karo from Lemon Aki" her son replied and started eating. Lemon Aki was his favorite manga.

,,It's great news, Kai-kun. One week after the exorcising and still no nightmares. It seems that this time, it helped" mother was delighted, and she was right.

At this point, I owe you a short explanation:

When the twins were three years old, Kai was kidnapped by a huge wolf. His parents have been pursuing the wolf and searching for the kidnapped son, but they lost the track. When they gave up hope, Kai was found. And he was unharmed, apart from a small scar above his right eye.

Since that event, the boy has been having nightmares containing wolves, about once per two months. His parents have sent him on exorcising a few times, but it never helped. The nightmares would always return. What's worse, they've been getting more and more often. Nowadays, over 10 years after the scar was left, it was twice a month.

Kai was 13 years old. Ideo too. Almost 14, to be exact.

,,We won't know until three more weeks pass, Sakura" the father of the twins cut in, having finished his morning tea. He wasn't exactly the optimist type. In fact, he was a deadly serious person. And he gave up hopes for freeing his son from the wolf nightmares a long time ago.

Kai sighed, chewing his pancakes slowly. He had wonderful relations with his mother, but he could never have those with his father. Why? Let me tell you:

The ambition of Kai's father was to have many children, to rebuilt his clan. He was 21 when he got married and 22 when his sons were born. The first twin got out without special problems, but his brother was less lucky and got tangled in his umbilical cord, creating complications.

The medic-nins were finally able to set him free, but the whole operation affected his mother's ability to bear children. She couldn't have them anymore.

Because of that, the father holds a deep grudge towards his second-born. A grudge he expresses constantly, calling his son ,,Youkai", meaning demon. A demon, that took his dreams (and almost the life of his wife) away.

That's the story.

,,And you, Youkai, haven't I told you not to read those idiotic comic books? They won't teach you anything" father turned to his youngest son.

,,They don't have to, oto-san. I read them for fun" Kai explained. He enjoyed reading comic books, especially the Lemon Aki. The story presented in that manga was so familiar to him:

The wife of the title character dies, giving birth to two sons. In his anger, Aki orders his friend to leave the second-born twin in the forest, so it would die, and raises the elder one on his own. Later on, the first-born twin is kidnapped by an evil demoness, and Aki disabled, loosing his arms and legs. A few years later, he meets a blacksmith in a white mask, Karo, who gives him metal arms and legs and they both set out for a journey to find Aki's kidnapped son. In the current moment of the story, Kai was entirely sure that Karo, his favorite character, is in fact the second-born twin. It has been hinted a few times. Karo never showing his face, Karo devoting himself to helping Aki, Aki's friends marking Karo is very much like him, etc. It was logical. He somehow survived and was secretly helping his father, to gain his respect and love. Kai liked it. Karo gave him motivation to keep on trying to impress his father. And his father surely was not so easy to impress.

Descendant of a noble clan, a highly respected ANBU captain and one of Hokage's closest friends, Uchiha Sasuke had reasons to be proud of himself. Yet, he didn't seem to care. Like I said before, he was a serious realist. He would relax from time to time, he would go out for a beer with friends, he would show his feelings to his wife, he would even play with Ideo.

But not with Kai. Ideo was the heir. Kai-Youkai was an addition to him. Even the fact he graduated from the Ninja Academy as the top of his year didn't seem to have much influence on the way Sasuke thought of his son.

,,Life is not about fun. Life is about duties" the Uchiha survivor said and stood up ,,You must never forget your duties. Understood?"

,,Yes, oto-san"

,,Very well. Finished? Okay, everybody, we'd better get going" and so, the family finished the breakfast and left the household soon after.

They all lived in the Uchiha District. It was a huge complex of houses and a few shops. A very empty one. Since Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's brother, murdered the whole family, the District became a creepy and sad place. Sasuke hoped to change that. With the help of his friends, he made it to renovate the houses and made the complex brighten up a little. Only a little. What was essential to make it return to it's whole glory was a good amount of people. The number of Uchihas, thanks to Kai, remained as low as 4. 5, including Itachi. But in Sasuke's opinion, Itachi was a disgrace and should not be seen as a member of the Uchiha clan.

There was a board in front of the Uchiha District. The board said:

Here are living happily:  
-Sasuke -Sakura -Ideo -Kai

After Orochimaru was killed, Sasuke chilled out a little and decided to concentrate on his family. He still hoped to one day be able to pull out his brother's liver and engrave his name on it though. That's one of the reasons he joined ANBU for. He was obliged to hunt down nukenins. And what was his brother, if not a nukenin? Yeah. Dreaming is good.

,,Oh my God!" Sakura cried out suddenly, pointing up. Her three men looked up, towards the Hokage monument…

…just to see the noble figures of their leaders richly decorated with sanitary napkins.

The family sighed.

,,Kitoro…" they all said.

In this very moment, we could have finished the chapter.

We could, if it wasn't for a certain duo.

Short time after Sasuke and his family left the District, in one of the empty houses, in the cellar, a girl and a boy woke up.

Feeling they are the only two people within the whole complex, they decided to go out of their hiding place. The girl was her mid teens. She was wearing a purple shirt with zips on the front and on the long sleeves. Moreover, she had black trousers, also with zips on the sleeves(legs?), and silver gloves on her hands. The boy was early teens. He was dressed in a plain white shirt and plain beige shorts. Both girl and boy were wearing dark glasses.

The duo entered the house Sasuke and his family lived in.

,,Well, well, well…" the girl started, as she looked on the calendar, that hang on the wall ,,Today's the day. Tonight's the night. Tonight we will take the uncle's son"

,,Gush, Nee-san, you speak poetry" the boy was impressed.

,,Neh, I'm just screwing. Finally, Kwan. After almost a week of gathering information and burying in some cellar, we have a perfect occasion. Tonight, the old pricks will be off, and the kids will be staying home alone. That's gonna go easy" the voice expressed satisfaction and excitement. She was right. She and the boy came to the village at night, almost a week ago. They came in unnoticed, since they used a secret passage, which their father created many years ago. Thanks to his foresight, they were able to sneak into the Uchiha District and hide there. Nobody would look for them in here. The mission of the two was to gather information about the family that lived in the District. They've been doing it well. Now, it was the time for the second, most essential part of the quest. The girl was ready and prepared for it. The boy however had doubts.

,,Yeah… but… what if the plan was wrong? What if they don't want to listen to you? Nee-san, if anything happens to you…"

,,Chill out, Kwan. The plan is perfect. Of course, there always is a risk. In this case, it's a high one too. But, whatever. I could have done this even in uncle's presence. He is no match for me"

,,But if they don't go for the deal? What if they kill you?"

,,If they only try… I'm gonna repeat the Uchiha massacre on the whole village, my brother" the girl stood in front of a mirror. A grin. Madness. And those white eyes, burning red. 

…  
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NOTE: Turning 18 soon. I most propably won't finish the next chapter before my birthday, so I'll mention it now.

InnerGM: As if your age affected your stories. 


	4. Uzumaki, Hyuuga, Uchiha

,,Redemption" by GreatMarta

Can someone tell me where I belong? Where do I go?  
Can someone tell me where I'm going wrong? I need to know  
Why do I hurt the ones I love with everything I do?  
If I can't be what they want of me then what am I to do?

Episode 3 : Uzumaki, Hyuuga, Uchiha

Rokudaime Hokage sure had reasons to be proud of.

For 36 years he's been a jinchuriki of Kyuubi no Kitsune, the most powerful of all demons. As a jinchuriki, he was doing just fine. He knew how to deal with his demon and how to use his power right. Although he preferred his own strength, the one gained through harsh trainings, to the one he could have for free from the stupid fox.

For 15 years already he's been happily married to the Hyuuga heiress. Geez, how terrified he was when asking her parents for a permission to marry. Fortunately, the mother was overjoyed and immediately started calling him ,,son", kissing and hugging him and her daughter and wishing them good luck and many children. As for the father of the girl… well, let's say he had doubts. But he knew he couldn't stand in the way to his daughter's happiness. Later on, especially when the grandchildren were born, he turned out to be much less scary than he appears.

14 years and two months ago the couple was blessed with their first child. He could remember very well the day his precious baby came to the world. It started so suddenly. They were out, having lunch with their friends, and it started. Just like this. He panicked. No matter how hard he tried not to, he had to scream,,Oh my God!",,What to do?!" and ,,Somebody do something!", not to mention running in circles, pulling his hair out and jumping like crazy. Fortunately, a friend of his, being 6th month pregnant herself, knew exactly what to do. She took the closest chair, crushed it on his head and said,,Shut up, you moron! Sasuke-kun, get a riksha! Hinata-chan, don't worry, everything's gonna be alright. And you, Naruto-baka, run to the hospital and tell them we're coming!" Of course, he listened to her.

Thanks to a reasonable commander, delivering his wife to the place of destiny went well. As for the delivery of the baby, it was the most dramatic event he's ever experienced. He was there, holding his wife's hand, calming her down and assuring it's gonna be alright, directing those words more to himself than to her. And she would scream, using all of the voice she never had before, crushing his hand in hers. He'd never think she could yell this loud. But her yelling was nothing comparing to the sound their first-born let out as she opened her mouth for the first time. She cried so loud, that the whole village instantly knew: the child of the war hero Uzumaki Naruto (he wasn't a Hokage yet) and the Hyuuga heiress Hinata has entered the world.

The proud mother prepared a list of 12 names for the newly born girl, but he didn't like any of them. The grandfather insisted that his first granddaughter is named Kitoko, after her grandmother. Kitoko, Kitoko… neh. He couldn't tell exactly what, but something didn't fit. That name didn't stick with the baby. To him, Kitoko linked with peace, harmony and kindness, and his new daughter was the absolute opposite of those: loud, unsteady, demanding. She couldn't be named after her gentle and quiet grandmother. It would be so weird.

It took him 3 hours straight of staring at his new daughter, to come up with a brilliant idea, a solution, that would satisfy everybody: to change the ending from ,,ko" to ,,ro". Kitoro. Kitoro. He liked the sound of it. The ,,ro" at the end added power. A power he could clearly see in his child. A power she would one day need to rule the Hyuuga clan. Yes. A name with power. A strong one. And everybody was more or less fine with it. The mother felt it fits, the grandmother that it would avoid mistakes, and the grandfather that it's okay. 

Hyuuga Ichizoku-no Uzumaki Kitoro Kurenai was currently 14 years old. She was standing in front of her father's desk, guarded by two jounins, listening to a third one, who was reading an official charge for the insolent act of vandalism, meaning: devastating the Hokage monument by covering it with sanitary napkins. Assuming from the girl's face, she wasn't feeling guilty at all, nor was she afraid of the jounins. She seemed rather annoyed. Her father couldn't help it but smile. His little girl. She had his spiky blonde hair and her mother's white eyes. She was dressed in a red shirt with a black spiral on the front and back, baggy pants and a headband with the emblem on Konoha on it. Because of her tough appearance and hyperactive way of being, she was often mistaken for a boy. And she hated that. True, she was a boyish type. But not a boy. Hanging out with guys is fine, speaking the way they do too, but being mistaken for a guy? Bleh. Embarrassing. Fortunately, since last year, something was finally starting to bloom underneath her shirt. If she only wore more close-fitting clothes, the mistaking of her gender would no longer be likely.

Everybody said she took too much after her father. He didn't mind. He was proud of her. Even, or shall I say: especially, when she would pull out pranks on a big scale. Just like he used to when he was a kid. Real masterpiece pranks, just like the one she was being judged for right now, in front of him.

,,Therefore, I highly insist, that the mentioned above Hyuuga Ichizoku-no Kitoro Kurenai…"

,,You skipped ,,Uzumaki"" Kitoro corrected. The jounin didn't seem to hear her.

,,…was sentenced to three months of contribution to public life, as a dustwoman. What do you think, Hokage-sama?".

,,Wha, wha…? Oh, right, contributions… umh… You know, I think it's a very good idea. But, again, you see, it has no influence on Kitoro. We used it last time and it didn't work." Naruto pointed out. The jounins frowned, remembering the ,,last time".

A year ago, Kitoro managed to get hold of a catapult. She knew the catapult crew was testing it in a field near the village. Deciding it's a great opportunity, she went there, knocked the crew out with her father's sexy-jutsu, loaded the catapult with eggs and launched them right at the Hokage monument.

Most people believed she had a backup. They insisted that the prankster is not capable of using such a war-machine on her own, thus somebody trained at it had to help her. The girl however refused to name her ally, nor admit she didn't commit the crime all by herself.  
All of the clan heads agreed, that such an insolent act of vandalism and lack of respect towards the Hokages is to be severely punished. So, Kitoro was sentenced to three months of contributions to public life and just the same length of ramen ban. The work she had to do was hard, but three months without her favorite food was far more touching. But, as we could see now, it wasn't touching enough. The punishment turned out to be a complete failure, for which the sanitary napkins covering the stone face of previous village leaders were the proof.

,,Right." The jounin who read the charge admitted, looking at Kitoro with disgust ,,We need to think of something more proper." The girl sighed.

,,Okay, but make it short. I'm meeting with my team in twenty minutes and still need to have breakfast." She announced. The look on the jounins faces told Naruto that his daughter was really playing on their nerves. That girl, she was so much like him: she never realized the seriousness of trouble she was in, never seemed to care for the consequences. Always so self confident, speaking before thinking. Sighs… how he loved her. But again, he had to remember he can't allow her to do everything. She had to know, that being Hokage's daughter doesn't save her from having to face the consequences of her actions. Right, the punishment. Hmh… Think, think… 

KNOCK KNOCK

,,Come in." Naruto ordered. The door to his office opened and so did his mouth at the sight of the guest. The most serious person he knew, his father-in-law, has entered the room with grace of a swan and toughness of a godzilla. He was followed by two men, presumably aged late thirties or early forties, with white eyes and green hair, each of them armed with three katanas, shuriken holsters and a sight, that could freeze blood in veins. The three jounins all lowered their heads in respect for the Hyuuga leader, as he walked towards his eldest granddaughter. The girl tried to smile, but it was obvious that her self confidence was brutally murdered by the bloodthirsty king of white eyes, as she nicknamed him in her thoughts.

,,O… Ojii-chan… heheh… Hi." Kitoro did her best to seem natural and relaxed, although her body was starting to produce sweat in an unnaturally fast tempo, but she couldn't fool the old man.

,,Enjoying yourself, Kitoro Kurenai?" Hyuuga Hiashi started. The last ,,i" was filled with poison.

,,Well… umh… I… " the girl's brain seemed to melt under the gaze of the old man, as she was doing her best to built a proper sentence. Seeing she is unlikely to make it, her grandfather continued the reprimand.

,,Well umh I? You have committed a serious crime and ashamed your clan, and all you have to say is ,,Well umh I"?!" he yelled ,,Do you have any idea, how foolish that was? Do you have any idea, how irresponsible that was? Your lack of sense of decency is purely frightening, granddaughter!" none of the people in the room dared to move or blink. The rage of Hiashi's wrath turned them into stone statues. Only the green-haired bodyguards didn't seem afraid. Their job was to remain steady, even is such extreme situations. In their opinion, the heiress was getting half of what she deserved for her foolishness. 

,,But Ojii-chan" Kitoro managed to cut in ,,I didn't hurt anybody!"

,,Didn't hurt anybody?" Hiashi's usually pale face started to fill with redness ,,How about hurting the feelings of the citizens? How about hurting the memory of the past Hokages? Or perhaps hurting your parents feelings, the feelings of your fellow Hyuugas, my feelings!" he insisted ,,How would you feel if your daughter would show, that your family honor means nothing to her? Don't you recognize any values? Don't you understand, that as a future head of our clan, you have to be a shining example? For God's sake, Kitoro, you are 14 years old, and still acting like a child from the playground!" while the old Hyuuga continued his cruel speech, the sixth Hokage was slowly overcoming his fear and getting hold of himself. Poor Kitoro. She looked terrified. So much unlike herself. And so guilty. He wished she didn't have to hear that. But he knew, that his father-in-law had his right to be angry and was the only person capable of discouraging Kitoro from prank pulling. Or, as they called it: vandalism.

Hokage's daughter lowered her head. She seemed to realize, that the best she can do is to show repentance and pray it pleases the old Hyuuga.

,,Gomen nasai." She whispered.

,,It's not enough." Her grandfather said and turned to the father of the girl ,,I suppose you have administered a strict punishment?"

,,Well, in fact, we were in the middle of discussing it." Naruto explained. He knew what he could expect from his father-in-law now.

,,I see. If so, let me make a suggestion. Kouji!"

,,Hai." One of the bodyguards pulled a thick book from his holster and handed it to his master. Hiashi took it and gave it to Kitoro. The girl didn't seem to understand, what is this supposed to mean.

,,You have one month to read this. After you're done, I'll give you another two. Your mother thinks you're not mature enough for such a literature, but in my opinion, it could positively influence your outlook on life." The old man explained. Kitoro's eyes winded, as she realized how thick the book is.

,,But Ojii-chan" she protested ,,There's no way I could finish this in one month only!"

,,That is not my problem." With that, the Hyuuga leader turned to his son-in-law again ,,Naruto, I'd like to speak to you in private, if it's possible."

,,Yeah, sure. Everybody, dismiss." Naruto ordered, mentally preparing himself for a reprimand even more spicy than the one his daughter received. He was sure, that he'll yet again have to hear, that he has no idea of how he should raise his children, specially the heiress of Konoha's most noble clan. He hated that.

The 3 jounins left and the 2 bodyguards were told to wait outside and keep an eye on Kitoro. Naruto took a deep breath. Okay, you're a Hokage, you have to be brave. Okay.

,,So, Oto-san" he started. Even being allowed to call him ,,dad" and doing so for 15 years already didn't help but make him feel, that he's not showing enough respect towards his wife's father. ,,If it's all about Kito-chan, I'm really sorry for her. I guess I'm not being firm enough."

,,Being firm is not the point." Hiashi replied ,,Kitoro has to realize the responsibility her destiny contains. She has to be aware, that people expect her to act in a proper way. She is 14, it's about time that she maturates. You know that, Naruto."

,,I know" he admitted ,,But it's just… I don't know, how can I change her. I don't want to kill her spirit. It's so… cruel. I can't." he lowered his head. The vision of his beloved daughter turning into a calm, reserved noblewoman, who does exactly what the others expect her to do, obeys all rules and forgets all sporadicness was frightening. According to the Hyuuga elders, the heiress should always remember her dignity, but he couldn't stand it. His daughter was full of passion, energy and crazy ideas. He loved her that way and never wished for her to change. If it only wasn't for that stupid noble standards. Couldn't they understand, that they can't make a child give up on her childhood? It's a paranoia. 

Surprisingly, Naruto felt Hiashi's hand on his shoulder. He rose his head to look at the old man. The Hyuuga's face seemed to lighten up a little. It expressed understanding and consolation, with only slight bit of dissatisfaction.

,,I wouldn't want to kill her spirit either." Hiashi agreed ,,But the problem is that Kitoro herself can't control it. She is aware, that in some respects, there are certain borders, which she mustn't cross. I do believe she is aware of that. But she doesn't seem to care. And that is what I'm worried about." Hiashi nailed the point so precisely, that Naruto couldn't believe it. Of course, Kitoro knew what she must and what she mustn't. She knew, but despite knowing kept on breaking the rules. But why? He did so to have somebody's attention. But she didn't need to. She had her parents attention, her siblings attention, her friends' attention, the whole clan's attention. She was surrounded with love. Or maybe she didn't feel so? No. She said she pulls pranks for fun. Certainly. It's just for fun. But for all the troubles she has to face for that? There must be a real reason behind this. But what? He has to find out. If his daughter is having any problems, he has to find out. That's his mission, s her father. Right. 

,,I'm going to talk to Kitoro about it. I'm sure I can convince her to cooperate." The Hokage decided. His father-in-law nodded.

,,I trust you, my boy." he said ,,Kitoro is a good girl. But she has to understand her position. And you are the only person capable of helping her accept her destiny." Naruto didn't expect to hear such words from his father-in-law. The only person capable of the task. It sounded almost like a praise. To be praised by your wife's father. Wow.

,,Do you really think so?" Naruto asked. Hiashi admitted.

,,You have wonderful relations with your children, especially with Kitoro. That's what you shall never waste."

,,Of course!" the Hokage burst out with joy and pride. Yeah. He was a good father. He had wonderful relations with his children. He had reasons to be proud of. And he absolutely wasn't going to loose it.

MEANWHILE

,,Hmh… ,,Lion Warriors"… by Hyuuga Ryoji. Great, it surely revolves around the same shit grandpa keeps on torturing me with." Uzumaki Kitoro growled, closing the book her grandfather gave her. She was angry. Geez, couldn't they simply send her to gather trash, like they did before? No, they had to force her to read some stupid book, that was supposed to show her ,,good leader figures" and ,,shining rulers examples", who deal with difficult decisions, hatred in the family and many more idiotic things she would most willingly forget. Main House, Branch House, blah, blah, blah. God, have mercy. It's pointless.

The girl took a look at her grandfather's bodyguards. It's not like he needed them, no way. He was strong, both mentally and physically. As for 65 years old. But as he grew older, grandma was starting to worry that some enemy ninjas may be trying to assassinate him. Well, irrational fears of an oversensitive wife. That's how Hyuuga Hiashi called it. But seeing his condition has gotten worse and understanding he's no longer as flexible as he used to, the Hyuuga head decided to listen to his wife and chose two men from his clan to assist him on various occasions.

The two were obviously brothers. Eventually first cousins. Apart from unusual hair color, they both had thick, massive noses, square beards and sharply outlined cheek bones. The one named Kouji was half-a-head shorter than his comrade, but the wrinkles on his face suggested, that he was the older of the two. His hair was rough and short, while his brother had a fine parting on the right side of his head. His hair was also longer, but still didn't reach his shoulders. The two men wore headbands, thus you couldn't tell, which branch are they from.

,,So, guys" Kitoro decided to talk to the men, thinking it would make the waiting more pleasant for all of them ,,How's been lately?"

,,My wife and children are fine, thank you, Kitoro-sama" Kouji replied. He obviously would rather be somewhere else, if he could.

,,My wife-less-ness and child-less-ness is also fine, thank you, Kitoro-sama" replied the other guy, with just as much optimism as the first one. Kitoro sighed. At least she tried.

,,Geez, Koichi" she talked to the taller bodyguard ,,Cheer up, being a single is not so bad afterall. I am a single too, and see, how cool my life is. I don't have to think I'm too fat, I don't have to shave my legs, I can go wherever I want! If I had a boyfriend, I'd have to think about him for all the time, choose the type of perfume he likes, make sure he trains and eats vegetables, bleh, not to mention my little brothers making fun of me for that! Well, that's what little brothers are for, but, anyway, being a single is cool. Man, if I only imagine a guy trying to kiss me… urgh! Nightmare."

,,In fact, Kitoro-sama" Kouji cut in ,,If you love somebody, being close to that person puts you in a state of upper joy and happiness" he stated. It seemed as if Kitoro's speech annoyed him. The girl felt a pain in her stomach. Great, now there comes a lecture on how wonderful love is. Disgusting.

,,Yeah, yeah, sure, it's wonderful." Hokage's daughter tried to prevent Kouji from any further explanations. Love, love, fine, let it be, but she is neither ready nor willing to know it.

,,So it is, Kitoro-sama" Koichi agreed ,,I guarantee, that since Nii-san got married, he enjoys his life much more. If you knew him before, such a sarcastic, calculated type. Even his own mother couldn't…"

,,Koichi!"

,,Gomen, Nii-san"

,,Heh, good, guys" Kitoro laughed. At least they showed some emotions different than indifference. And she knew how to push them further ,,I see and get it. But, still, there is one thing I don't. How come the uglier brother got himself a girl and the prettier didn't?" with that question, both bodyguards' faces wrinkled in indignation and went as pale as their eyes. Kitoro laughed. They looked so funny! 

,,Koichi, Kouji!" Hyuuga Hiashi called, coming out of Naruto's office ,,We're leaving" he ordered.

,,Hai, Hiashi-sama!" the two replied, directing one last murderous gaze to their future leader. That girl. If this is where the clan is heading… oh, whatever. As if they had any influence on that. Their job was to follow the leader, no matter what. And so they did. Hyuuga Hiashi went on, and they went after him, getting out of the sight of Kitoro and her father.

,,Well, Kito-chan" Naruto started ,,it seems now you have to go and clean the monument"

,,Guess so. But, oto-san, my team…"

,,Don't worry, I'm sure they already know. Would be weird if they didn't see your work of art. But I'm going to call your sensei and tell him you're not coming."

,,Oh. Okay. Fine. So, I'll get to cleaning"

,,Wait, Kito-chan" the Hokage put his hand on his daughter's shoulder ,,Just one question. Why did you do this?"

,,For fun" the girl said simply ,,Oto-san, does there have to be a reason for everything? Nothing interesting happens in this village, I just wanted to break the boredom. I'm sorry if Ojii-chan is angry at you because of that. "

,,It's not about your grandfather" Naruto denied ,,Kito-chan, I'm just trying to understand you. I'm worried that you might be having some sort of problems, or something…"

,,Oto-san, that's nothing this sort" she assured, removing his hand from her shoulder ,,I'm fine, I don't have any problems. I really pull pranks for fun. For adrenaline. Just for the heck of it. That's it. Believe me" she looked right into his eyes, making as innocent impression as possible. He sighed. He couldn't continue this any longer. White eyes. A deadly weapon.

,,Go already" he ordered. She ran off immediately. She was feeling guilty. But she knew she has to ignore the feeling. She had to run away from it. Like she always did. There was a fate upon her. She didn't want it. She had to at least try to throw it away. But soon, this will no longer be possible.

,,Gomen nasai, Oto-san" she thought bitterly ,,But you can't help me. " Two minutes later

The room we see now obviously belongs to a man. A single one, surely. Dirty clothes and magazines lying on the floor, plants dying from lack of water, dust on the shelves, an empty bottle of sake by the wall… yeah. No doubts.

Right now, we hear a ring. A telephone. And a voice:

,,Here's Inuzuka Kiba's love studio. Press one and tell me your burning desires. I'll be sure to answer them."

,,Press two if you wish to talk to the only reasonable man in this house: Val, meaning me!"

EEEEEEKKK…….

,,Kiba, I know you're most likely off, on your way to meet your genins…"

,,KUSO!" a man in boxers jumped out of his sheet. Damn it, it's so late already?!

,,…but Kito-chan won't be coming, I just wanted to let you know." Naruto's voice said, as the owner of the secretary grabbed his trousers from the floor and rapidly put them on. Shit, shit, shit!

,,Val!" he called, getting hold of a random shirt from his chair ,,I told you to wake me up! Stupid son!" a second later he ran to the boy's room, to kick him out of bed ,,Get up, it's late!"

,,UGH!" the boy cried, having to all of a sudden stop his dream ,,To-san, what's…!"

,,Get dressed!" Kiba threw some garments at his son, making him loose balance. In a rush hurry, the two put their clothes and weapons on, ate a bun each and called their dogs. A minute later, they were riding on huge white dog's back, yelling at one another.

,,You were supposed to wake me up!"

,,I told you my alarm clock broke down!"

,,Weak excuse! You should be a help for your hard-working father!"

,,Yeah right! If you wouldn't visit night clubs, you'd be able to get enough sleep!"

,,Don't talk to me like this!"

,,Why not?!"

,,I created you out of nothing!"

,,With the help of mom!"

,,She left us!"

,,Don't remind me!"

,,It's not my fault she doesn't answer your letters!"

,,But it's yours that I'm gonna be late for the meeting with my team!"

,,You won't! Akamaru, faster, faster!"

,,WOOF!!!"

A few minutes later

Hyuuga Reika didn't know, weather to laugh or cry. She yet again looked in the direction of the Hokage monument. Heh. Surely, that's something people won't forget so easily. Kitoro once again showed them, how shocking she can be. 

Reika allowed herself to smile. That Kitoro. She knew her almost since she was born, and she still was capable of surprising her. Her dearest, best friend and favorite cousin. A sister she never had. They've always been close. Since the earliest childhood, always there for each other. Aw, so many memories…

Fortunately, the girls have been lucky to end up on the same team. Presumably, Kitoro's grandfather had an influence on that. To place a Branch House member on one team with a Main House member, so she could protect her. Or perhaps Kitoro's father decided, that friends should be together. Whatever the reason was, it was good that way. 

Reika noticed the third member of the team coming. He waved to her. She waved back. Uchiha Kai. Number one rookie of their year. Along with his twin brother Ideo, most popular guy. But Reika never screamed like crazy in his presence, nor did Kitoro. Neither of them showed any interest in him. That's propably why he liked them so much and enjoyed their company. They treated him normally, and vice versa.

By the time they became genins, Reika only thought of Kai as of a friend. But as they spend time together, training and fulfilling missions… she doesn't know exactly when, but she started to see him in a slightly different light. She noticed he's a man. A good-looking, strong, with respect for women, sensitive… and she felt so good in his presence. Perhaps it was love. But she wasn't sure yet. And she didn't want to tell him until she was.

Little did she know that Uchiha Kai was feeling exactly the same. No else but exactly the same.

,,Hi, Reika-chan!" he called happily ,,Kitoro doesn't seem to allow any boredom enter the village, neh?"

,,Absolutely" Reika agreed ,,It's not her style"

,,We may assume she won't be coming" he sat on a wooden fence ,,And expect Kiba-sensei to be late. I called Val yesterday evening and he said he went out with some suspicious female friends of his."

Reika sat next to Kai.

,,Poor Val. It must be hard to see an own father running such a lifestyle. That Kiba-sensei, it would be the best if he remarried"

,,Val doesn't want that" Kai protested ,,He doesn't want any new mother. He made his father swore he won't remarry"

,,I see" the girl nodded and looked at the monument again. She could see her friend working there, removing the unusual decorations. Heh. Sanitary napkins. How creative.

,,You look very pretty today" Kai said, shocking both the girl and himself. What was that supposed to be? So all of a sudden? She was looking at him now. So intensive. Those white eyes. And something in his head was starting to go crazy. He could swear he can hear some voice, saying,,She's pretty. She's a potentially attractive partner" somewhere in the background. Man, come on, what is she going to think about you now? Don't stare at her, say something.

,,Tonight. Your house. Parents off. Friends coming" the voice in the background reminded. Okay. Good one. Right.

,,You know, I was thinking: mom and dad are off today, with the Uzumakis, and Iruka and Ureshi are coming by, to watch videos and have pizza, Kitoro too, if she doesn't get grounded that is. I thought, maybe you could come too?" fine, you said that. Good boy. You made it. And she seems interested. Great. Progress. I see progress.

,,Hmh… I'd have to ask for a permission first. But yes, that would be nice" Reika answered. Yes!

,,AAARRGGHHH!!!" a huge white dog appeared in front of them, creating clouds of dust, as he stopped rapidly. The boy and the girl coughed.

,,AAARRGGHHH!!! He killed the mood!" the voice in Kai's head yelled. But he didn't have time to think about it. His sensei jumped on the ground and started the drill.

,,Alright, guys and un-guys! Get ready to work! Sun is shining and the duty is calling! Five sacks of potatoes to be delivered to an elderly lady! It's urgent!"

,,Crap!" Kai cried ,,Not those stupid low class missions!"

,,No complaining! No work is humiliating! Move it, move it!" Kiba called, encouraging his team to go. Kai and Reika sighed. It was their job afterall. 

…  
…………………………………………in ……………………………….

NOTE: Turned 18. Still haven't accomplished anything big. Has own ID. Okay, sorry it took so long. Urgh, and it still SUCKS! AAAAARRRRGGGHHH!!!!! 


	5. Just a little friendly competition

,,Redemption" by GreatMarta 

_Distrust is dust that brings us bare silence  
Like cage made of glass to disable us from hearing  
We're just the same, so why this wall between us?  
There's no difference, so why the hell indifference?_

Episode 4 : Just a little friendly competition

Hro could feel it. The presence of… two more adults, obviously to leave soon with her uncle and aunt… and three more kids. Two on an early genin level… man, how boring. And one is still just a piece of shit… PHEW! Bet he doesn't even know what chakra is. But wait… that chakra… familiar… so much like… mother's… Hyuuga. Definitely Hyuuga. So it would be two Uchihas and three Hyuugas to take care of. Four genins and one piece of shit. Pheew. Not so hard afterall. Guess they can relax.

,,Gush, Nee-san, do you feel it? Their guests… They're from Ka-san's clan" her brother noticed it too. And unlike Hro, he was worried. To him, it would mean having to take on yet another family members. Cousins from both parents' sides. To her, those people were strangers she'll have to fight, if they resist. Just a simple mission. Whatever their clan would be, it makes no difference to her. She is a cold, calculated specialist. And she doesn't see any point in feeling devotion towards people, whom she never even met once. However, knowing how much family ties, even such miserable ones, mean to her brother, Hro didn't say her opinions out loud. She turned to him with calmness and understanding.

,,It's good" she stated ,,That would mean they like Hyuugas. They won't think of us as of some suspicious people"

,,But Nee-san" Kwan didn't agree ,,It would also mean they are likely to notice we are outsiders, not Konoha citizens. They'll know we didn't come with friendly intentions" he pointed out. He preferred assuming the worse possible scenario to happen rather than the best. That way, the surprise could only be positive. Besides, it's the plan that really matters, not the plain action. Good plan is the key to victory.

,,Oh well" Hro sighed ,,Then we'll have to be quick. But don't ya worry, leave the talking to me and just do your part. It just can't go wrong" she announced with a tone of a person, that doesn't even dare to think something might go wrong. Kwan tried to smile. Hro was so brave. So professional. Ready to risk everything for their mission. He truly admired her. And was glad, that she is his sister.

MEANWHILE

,,I'm telling you, I'm feeling lucky tonight!" Naruto yelled, showing his foxy grin to his friends, as they were getting ready to leave the Uchiha household.

,,We'll see about that, Naruto!" Sakura teased him, taking one last look at the mirror, to check if her make up is as terribly beautiful as it was a minute ago.

,,Make sure Ureshi doesn't drink too much cola. It's bad for his stomach" Hinata reminded her blonde daughter and indigo haired son.

,,Sure thing!" they answered. You know the girl: it's Kitoro. Her brother, Iruka Hiashi, was turning 12 is less than two months. Like I said, his hair was indigo. It was rather spiky, but not as much as his sister's. He had a fringe, like his mother, which his family found cute. The most striking feature of the boy were whisker like markings on his cheeks. At first, his father feared it could be a sign of demonic powers, but as Iruka grew up, he turned out to be a quiet and obedient boy. A really cute one. Guess the marks were a result of being conceived in a demonic mode.

,,But I want cola! Cola!" the youngest Uzumaki cried. Ureshi Otonashi, conceived in euphoria after becoming Hokage, was 7 years old and a little monster. He demanded just the same rights as the ones his elder siblings had, and believed he was created for higher purpose. Since early childhood, he enjoyed manipulating people and checking, how far can he go. True, his parents spoiled him at first, but now they were loosing patience and expected some obedience from their little son. For Ureshi, the fact the adults held power was terribly unfair. Children can be smart too!

,,You'll get delicious, fresh, black currant juice. It's almost the same as cola" Kitoro pet her youngest brother's head. Ureshi's hair was also indigo, but darker than Iruka's. And just a little spiky. His face was very similar to his maternal grandfather's (at least that's what the grandfather said, clearly proud his family genes defeated Naruto genes in this case).

,,Juice sucks!" the boy growled. He hated when somebody was trying to fool him. To think he would believe juice is the same as cola. Such a shame! He is smarter than that!

,,Okay, we're of. And you'd better be good!" Sasuke warned the children, putting his jacket on. His two sons smiled innocently.

,,We will! Bye!" they waved their parents goodbye. Soon, the two couples left, leaving the 5 kids on their own. And the kids were more than glad. Kai grabbed a bowl of crisps. Cheese and onion. Yummy. Kitoro jumped on a sofa and stretched herself. Aw, what a life!

,,Yoooppiiee!!! When's pizza coming?"

,,Five minutes! Living not dying!" meanwhile, Ideo purred cola into 5 glasses. Ureshi launched at him, reaching for the biggest glass, but Ideo managed to stop him.

,,Slow down! This one's yours!" he explained, handing the glass to Ureshi.

,,But it's the smallest!" the youngest Uzumaki protested.

,,So are you"

,,But my stomach is big!"

,,I'll pour you more after you've drunk this, I promise"

,,Better be true!" Ureshi moved to the other side of the table and grabbed the bowl, from which Kai was eating.

,,Hey! It's for everybody!" the younger Uchiha twin shouted, his mouth full of crisps. Ureshi took as many crisps as he could hold in his grasp and threw them into his mouth. Feeling the taste of junk food made him happy beyond reason.

Ideo took the biggest glass. It was made of orange glass, which he knew was Kitoro's favorite color. Okay. You can do it, man. Go to her now. Alright. He walked towards Kitoro. Fine, it's easy, it's nothing so special.

,,Here, Kito-chan, it's for you" see? You made it. Good boy.

,,Thanks, Ideo" she replied, taking the glass from him and drinking half of it's content in one go. Aw! How good!

If Kitoro would pay more attention to Ideo, perhaps she would notice he blushed. Perhaps she would notice, he is always shy in her presence. He admires her. Secretly. He's been in love with her for a long time already. Heh. But she doesn't want a boyfriend. She's a declared single. So he can't tell her about his feelings. Maybe one day. Maybe. But now, all he could hope for was friendship. At least he got to be close to her from time to time. And for a while, they've been holding the same glass. Such a wonderful experience.

Meanwhile, Iruka placed the tapes he found on the shelves near the TV on the floor. Hmh. What to watch first?

,,Hey, guys, what do you want to watch? We have ,,Sandstorm Chronicles",,Golden Slayer",,Sparta Master"…"

,,None of those suitable for Ureshi" Kitoro noticed.

,,I want that!" Ureshi rushed towards Iruka and picked one of the tapes from the floor. The title said,,Lemon Aki. Episodes 1-5"

,,Alright!" Kai agreed ,,Lemon Aki's good for all occasions!"

,,But the manga is PG13!" Iruka protested.

,,Anime is much less scary" Kai calmed him down ,,Guarantee, I know all lines by heart!"

,,Then so be it! Let' watch!" Kitoro ordered. Everybody admitted with a loud ,,YEAH!"

A few minutes later

,,Nee-san, it's time"

,,Nope. Not yet. Focus. Feel it. They're watching shit and eating junk. Will be easier to beat them with their stomachs full. Let's wait a little longer"

,,Oh. Okay"

Another couple of minutes later

The party was on. Pizza was delivered and the movie on. The group was currently in the middle of episode 3, in which Aki and Karo (according to Kai's theory – his son) accidentally got in the way of a bandit group. Then, since they were already involved, they helped local farmers to solve the bandit problem once and for all. No matter how many times Kai watched it, he never had enough. Manga was of course better drawn, but the anime was more humoristic. And the seiyu of his favorite character Karo was a pure genius. That guy never dubbed his characters, he simply became one with them. And the soundtrack. ,,Take all pain you've got and throw it behind, don't be afraid to see future bright, prophecy won't end with the promise of resurrection, hard luck, but that's no reason for misery to consume your life". Hah. Kai loved that song. It showed, that no matter how hard your life treats you, you must look at the bright side and find strength to get up and move on. Beautiful message. Just the one he needed.

But this time, Kai didn't enjoy his favorite anime as much as usually. He was looking at his watch nervously. Would Reika come? She said she would. If she has a permission, that is. Right. Might have problems with that. Her father is very strict. And he doesn't like her to stay out for a night. Well, she's his only daughter. Would be weird if he wasn't worried about her. But she is 14 already, and they are her good friends. What bad could happen to her in their house? Nothing. Absolutely.

,,Danger" a voice in the background called. This time, Kai noticed it. He heard it. Certainly. But… it wasn't Ideo's voice… neither Kitoro's, nor Iruka's, Ureshi's also no…

,,DANGER" the voice cried. Kai gasped. It was so loud. So clear. A man. Adult. Somewhere outside? Maybe TV? No.

,,You've heard that?" he asked his friends. They didn't seem to be paying much attention to what was happening outside the screen and the pizza box.

,,What?" Iruka asked.

,,A voice. It said something about danger."

,,No. I haven't." the middle Uzumaki denied.

,,Neither did I. It must be your imagination" Ideo stated, reaching out for his glass of cola. To his utter surprise, it was empty. The boy took a look at his comrades. Little Ureshi belched out loud. Of course. ,,Ureshi! You little maniac!" Ideo grabbed a pillow and threw it at the youngest Uzumaki. Ureshi ducked and ran away laughing. Ideo followed him ,,You're in for it!"

,,Not gonna get me, not gonna get me!" the boy teased his elder friend, not stopping running. Ideo growled. Kitoro and Iruka sighed. Those children.

Suddenly, a rang was heard. The door. Kai almost jumped out of his skin, running to open. Reika-chan, let this be Reika-chan. He stood by the door. Okay, do it. Let heaven's will happen. He opened.

,,Good evening, Kai-kun" the girl with white eyes and long, dark brown, silky hair greeted her teammate. God, you do exist!

,,Hi, Reika-chan! It's great you could come!" Kai was overjoyed. Lemon Aki, pepperoni pizza, coca cola, Reika-chan… yeah, perfect picture. Even with the others around.

,,I'm sorry it's so late. I had to help with the laundry, and…"

,,It's okay" the boy cut in ,,I understand. Come, there's still a good amount of good food to handle"

,,Sounds great" the girl smiled and walked in. Kai couldn't help it but blush. Looking at her was a pleasure, comparable to the one he felt when getting his hands on the latest chapter of Lemon Aki. Last times, it was even joined by some kind of tension. A tension he never knew before. A feeling that sometimes made him feel ashamed. Was it right to feel this way? Was it love? He could sleep normally, he could eat normally, he wasn't thinking about her for all the time. So maybe not yet. Oh well. He was still just 14. Well, soon to be 14. He has time to think about it. Now, he's gonna enjoy it the way it is. And this way is good.

,,Hold it!" a voice called ,,We're in as well!" it wasn't the same voice as before. It was a girl. Kai and Reika turned to the owner of the voice. In front of them, two figures appeared. A girl, presumably 2 or 3 years elder than them, and a boy, about their age, maybe a little younger. White eyes. Hyuugas. And they want something.

,,Friends of yours, Reika-chan?" Kai asked, scanning the two newcomers. Somehow, their faces seemed familiar to him. If it wasn't for their white eyes, maybe he'd figure it out. But he would never think, the two might be his cousins.

,,No." Denied Reika. That girl and boy. She's never seen them before. And she knows the members of her clan more or less. Her father is the Branch House leader and she, his heiress, has to be aware of who is whom and such. And those two… they're not from here. They must be outsiders.

,,My name is Hro" the girl introduced herself ,,And this is Kwan. We have to talk to Uchiha Ideo. It's urgent." What? Hu-oh? Ku-an? What kind of names are those? And what do they ant from Ideo?

,,Who are you? I've never seen you around" Reika asked with a cold tone. They didn't have seals on their foreheads. So Main House. But they didn't seem to be. They smelled, as if they didn't bathe for at least a week. They had dirt underneath their nails. And those clothes… cheap and dirty. They looked tough and dangerous. They must be aware.

,,We are illegitimate children of a man from Hyuuga clan" Hro continued ,,When we were little, our father would visit us often and teach us everything he knows. He said, that he was preparing us to serve our clan and village, when we grow up. He wanted to proof, that even if we are raised outside the clan, we won't be any worse than other Hyuugas. Now, he send us here, to find the Uchiha heir and challenge him. The Uchiha are said to be better than us. We just need to check it on our own. Just a little friendly competition." The byakugan in her eyes shined, making Kai and Reika feel ants walking along their backbones. That girl. She was serious. And had guts. She must be strong. Not good.

,,Please, let my ane fight your ani. She has to fulfill our father's order. We just want a sparring match. After that, we'll leave in peace" the boy added. He was less scary than his sister. And more diplomatic. Still, suspicious. Alright. They want a fight with Ideo. Okay, Kai, clam down. You have the advantage. It's your house. And you have allies. Carefully. You can handle that. All you have to do is send somebody, maybe Ureshi, to call help. Right. It's gonna be alright.

,,Please, come in" he invited the suspicious duo inside. They walked in. Okay. Good so far. Now, walk them to the living room. Tell Ideo what's on. And when they fight, send Ureshi to get help.

The younger Uchiha twin and his 3 guests entered the room. Iruka was first to notice them.

,,You're right in time, it's the great climax going…" he started, but stopped at the sight of Hro.

Who was that girl? A friend of Reika's? She was… elder. More mature. Tough, but pretty at the same time. Not a typical beauty. Short hair, worn out clothes… but still, there was something in her. Something… yeah, something. He didn't know, what that is. But it was so strong, that he couldn't draw his eyes away from her.

And she noticed it.

,,What? Never seen a girl before?" she asked in a cool tone. He blushed. She talked to him. Her first words in this room were directed to him. Oh gosh.

,,Wha…? No, I mean, not a girl like you" he said and the blood from his entire body gathered in his cheeks. Oh Lord, she was so wonderful. Is she going to stay and watch videos with them? Yes, absolutely yes. Aw.

,,Whatever" the girl obviously didn't dive a dam about Iruka and his admiration for her ,,Where's Uchiha Ideo?"

,,I'll call him!" Iruka jumped up from his place on the sofa and ran to get Ideo. No matter what, he has to make sure that girl gets what she wants. It was stronger than him ,,Ideo! The lady here wants to see you!"

,,What lady?! You'd better tell me where is that little piece of…" Ideo growled, coming into the room. He was angry. That Ureshi, to drink his, Uchiha Ideo's cola. Unbelievable. And who the hell are those two strangers? Okay, here's Reika, he knows her, but the other two Hyuugas? Never seen them before. ,,Who are you?"

,,My name is Hro, and this is Kwan"

,,What? Hu-oh? Ku-an?" asked Kitoro, surprised. Such weird names.

,,Just call me Miko and him Kinu" Hro offered, clearly annoyed ,,Geez, whatever, you don't need to call us any names. Uchiha Ideo, I hereby challenge you to a sparring fight. If you have any guts, let's go out and check, if the Uchihas are as special as people say" she announced. Ideo's eyes winded. Challenge? She wants to fight?

,,Umh…" Iruka cut in. He didn't know about the level of that beautiful young lady, but preferred avoiding unnecessary violence ,,Why fight? We could sit down, watch a video…"

,,Rather not" denied the challenger ,,I was order to check myself against Uchiha Ideo, and I'll fucking won't leave until I've done so" she declared. Iruka gulped. Ideo is so strong. Well, she didn't look so weak either, but to pick a battle with an Uchiha? It would be a horror.

Ideo was looking directly in the eyes of the one, who dared to challenge him. That Hyuuga. That Hu… Ho… Miko. She was serious. Deadly serious. And seemed tough. Her sight. That will of killing. That self confidence. Absolutely no signs of fear. She was trained well. By a strict, demanding, merciless person. She reminded him of a wild animal. Mysterious, crouching, ready to show it's claws at the right moment. He's never seen so much sureness in anyone. Even in his father. She surely was dangerous.

And that boy… no. He was different. He was unsteady. He tried to seem strong, but in his heart, he felt fear. But he couldn't tell, that the boy was weak. He was a well trained ninja. And that face… a serious one for a child his age. A face, that would fit an Uchiha. So similar to him and his brother. It showed, that underneath his kindness, there is a potential of a killer. That's almost exactly how he always pictured the Uchiha traitor in his thoughts. How he pictured Itachi. The caring big brother, who later turned out to be nothing more but a killer.

Kai was looking at his brother with a feeling, that something is wrong. Was he going to accept the challenge? If no, they'll force him to. If yes, he might not be able to deal with it on his own. He'll back him up. If he has to, he will. Reika and Kitoro will too. Maybe even Iruka. No, he's not even a genin yet. What might that girl's level be? Genin? Chunin? Jounin? It was better to assume it's much higher than theirs. Ideo must be very careful. Otherwise, it may not end good for him.

Ideo took one look at his friends. They were worried about him. They wished he didn't fight. But he couldn't refuse to accept the challenge. What would that say about him? That he's a coward. No. He is not a coward. He has his honor. And he wants to impress Kitoro. The opponent is serious, but a ninja must be able to accept any challenge. Even such a fishy one like this.

,,Then so be it" Sasuke's eldest son stated, making as deadly serious face as he could. So he decided. So it's to happen.

,,Nii-san…" Kai whispered. Something was telling him, that his brother was going to regret his decision. And that inner feeling… a torrent of chakra… but not his usual chakra. It was slight, yet easy to notice. And it seemed to giggle… in a mad way. Unpleasant way.

,,Bring me my weapons, Kai" Ideo ordered ,,I'm going to show that Miko, what it means to take an Uchiha on" he added, sending a murderous gaze to Hro. The girl barely smirked. What a baka. He thinks so high of himself. Making him realize, how weak he in fact is, is going to be a pure, wild pleasure. Oh, this tension… umh… excitement… how much pleasure can her cousin give her in battle? She couldn't wait to find out. She has to have fun now. Let's treat that as a reward for the pain she'll have to get through later on.

,,And by the way, Kai" Hro turned to the younger twin ,,Bring your youngest fellow here. We wouldn't want him to miss the whole fun, would we?" Kai froze. So she knew about Ureshi. He couldn't send him to get help. Not good. Bad. Okay, calm down. Don't show any fear. They'll know you're afraid and use it against you. Don't panic. You are an Uchiha. Be strong. ,,Be strong" the voice in his head called. This time, he was going to listen to it.

Ideo led everybody to the backyard. It was a quite big, square piece of bare ground. From three sides, it bordered with rows of houses, and from one with a bit of open space, that divided into two streets between other house rows. At the times of glory, it would serve as an Uchiha private training ground. In one of the buildings that surrounded it, there was even a sauna. It would always be full of young Uchihas, full of passion and eager to check themselves against each other. Nowadays, Sasuke, or Sakura, or both, trained their sons there. Sometimes, the boys would bring friends to play football. Now, it would be the first time they'll have to fight seriously.

Ideo, armored and prepared, entered the ground. Hro, the challenger, followed him. The audience sat on a wooden porch, watching the two opponents, as they stood eye to eye. It was cold. The moon shined bright, embracing the backyard. Ideo was ready to start. There was no turning back. One was sure: there can only be one winner. And he despised to loose.

Hro was calm. So impossibly calm. As if she was going to paint her nails, not put her life in danger. It was so striking. So insulting. She had no respect for her opponent. She was so sure of herself, that she didn't even pretend to treat Ideo seriously. Too bad. Wrong. Mistake. He couldn't let her get away with it.

Ideo launched at her, pulling three shuriken out of his holster and throwing them without stopping running. Hro dodged them all by bending herself backwards. Ideo jumped into the air, preparing a tough kick. Hro held her arm out, blocking the kick with no special problems. Ideo jumped back, pulled a kunai out and continued the attack.

,,You're dead already!" he shouted and ran at her. She didn't concern. He was getting closer. She didn't even moved. Just one more meter... Suddenly, he felt something on his stomach. In the same second he felt like being upside down. In next second, he hit the ground. What happened? He looked back. He was behind Hro now. How did she…? Oh, whatever, no time to loose!

He roared and reattempt the attack. This time from behind. He directed his kunai at her back. No mercy. Just a few more centimeters. Now, push!

But no. It just seemed like he made it. But in next second, Hro wasn't there. What the hell?! How could she disappear so fast? And where's she? And... Ideo's kunai disappeared as well.

,,Looking for something?" her voice! Behind him! Quickly, react! But no. Too late. He felt something cold on his neck. His kunai. He felt paralyzed. How could she do it? With such an easiness? She had a full control over this fight. And he could do nothing about it. They both knew it.

,,And that's it? Man, I'm bored. Show me some of your famous Uchiha power. Geez, Kwan, what was father thinking, when sending us here? Such a dropout is even less scary than Hamtaro" she teased, moving the blade from Ideo's neck to his throat. The boy felt sweat running across his face. How could she? How come he is the one to get fooled? Why, the hell? He is an Uchiha, for God's sake!

The audience was almost just as surprised and scared as the fighter himself. They could see the power of that mysterious girl. The speed she moved with. Her calmness. Her self control. And they had to admit, that they've never seen such a prodigy before.

,,Holy Ramen, you guy seen that?" whispered Kitoro, trying to overcome the shock. Even she could see, that this battle is serious. And it wasn't comfortable to be aware of the seriousness.

,,That peace… the way she moves…" Reika ran a quick analyze in her head ,,No unnecessary movements, no doubts. She has everything under control. And that harmony. It's not good. Ideo will loose this. Kai-kun, he has no chance against an opponent on such level" she turned to Kai. He didn't answer. He was only able to watch his brother's breakdown. Ideo. He felt, he is supposed to help him somehow. But his mind, and the inner voice, agreed that he can't join the fight. Ideo must deal with it. He has to get a grip. He has to fight.

Suddenly, Hro took her kunai away.

,,Three times lucky, little pisser. Use your chance while I still have some patience" she ordered. Ideo didn't need any encouragement. He jumped back, forming seals. She wanted Uchiha power? So she'll get.

KATON: GOKAKYU-NO JUTSU!

A large fireball flew directly at Hro. She rose one arm up. The fire covered her. The flames danced into the air. The blow enlighten the yard. Ideo smirked. The blow reached it's destination. Power of the Uchiha, full service. Heheh. Roasty toasty challenger. Good one.

Before the last bit of flames disappeared, a figure jumped out of the fire, as if launched from the cannon. Second later, it was before Ideo. It punched him in the stomach. He bend in half. A kick from the above. A kick from the side. He didn't have time enough to open his eyes. Another punch on the neck. On the back. From the front. He lost the grip with the ground. He hit the wall. He collapsed. He shivered. A fountain of half-digested fountain of pizza and cola spurred from his mouth.

,,Nii-san!" Kai cried. Little Ureshi cling to his brother Iruka. Iruka couldn't find any words to calm him down. He couldn't believe his own eyes. The girl he fell in love with from the first look, this wonderful person, was beating Ideo, his good friend, black and blue. And she was unstoppable. A killer, a brute and calculated killer. He was afraid of her. He was afraid of himself. He fell in love with an evil person. No. She couldn't be evil. She is just fulfilling orders. She can't be bad at all. If they only met in different circumstances… Oh, Lord, why?

,,Ready to give up? Or maybe for round two?" Hro turned to her vomiting opponent ,,Better option two, for I haven't had enough of fun with you. Man, I should've stayed home and unriddle crossovers. Would be much more interesting than fighting such a miserable excuse for a shinobi" she was insulting him. She was humiliating him. In front of his friends, of his brother, his love, making fun of him. Oh no. She can't go away with such a crime. He must do his best.

He stood up. He focused. He reached for his shuriken. She wants a war? There you go.

He threw shuriken like crazy, yelling aloud. First three made a parable on her right. The other three on her left and above her head. Hro watched all of the shuriken. None of them was directed at her at all. But she knew it was a strategy. There must be something behind those. And she could clearly see, what.

,,Kuso, kuso, he missed, he missed so much!" Ureshi cried, catching his head.

,,No. He set a trap" Kai explained, realizing what jutsu Ideo was about to use.

A second later, the trick was sure. Strings. Tied to shuriken. Now, plotting around Hro. Ideo held the ropes tightly. Seals. Full power.

KATON: RYUUKA NO JUTSU!

Suddenly, all of the ropes became visible, as fire covered them. The audience held their breaths. Hro turned her head. She was surrounded by burning stings. Ideo pulled them all, making them fly at the target. Hro looked up. The stings were getting closer. She made a few seals. The fire covered her, bursting out with a great rage. Kwan gasped. Heat once again filled the air. Inside Ideo, mad satisfaction faced mad security. If she managed to avoid the blow somehow…

,,Ideo, above you!" Reika cried. Ideo looked up. Hro was there, falling down and throwing a kunai at him. How the hell…? Jump aside! You ain't getting me with such cheap tricks…

Hro made a few quick seals. What, a simple kawarimi? She disappeared and a kunai appeared in her place. But wha…?

,,Nii-san, behind you!" Kai cried. Ideo turned back. Hro was charging at him. He blocked her hit. She barely touched him. He made her jump back. Hah!

,,She reached him!" Ureshi panicked.

,,No, it wasn't deep enough!" Kitoro claimed.

,,No, Kitoro. It was enough." Reika said. Kitoro looked at her friend in surprise.

,,What? Don't tell me she…"

,,Exactly."

,,Hah!" Ideo yelled at Hro ,,See?! Don't be so forwards, or you'll lack at the behind!" he laughed. This time, surely, he avoided the attack. One small success. His opponent was getting tired. Now it will be easier. The hardest part is behind him.

Hro giggled. She rose her head to look right into Ideo's eyes. The boy gasped. Veins around her eyes. Byakugan. So she…

Suddenly, he felt a gigantic wave of pain cover his stomach. He fell on his knees. His inside erupted, throwing a mass of vomit on the grass in front of him. That pain. That horrible taste. That shame. He couldn't bare it. Tears came to his eyes. He collapsed both physically and mentally, miracously avoiding hitting his own vomit. Why? What is with that girl? Why is he so hopeless against her? What is so special about her? Why, darn it, why?!

She laughed. A madman's laughter. That laughter. Filling his ears. Kicking his pride. Unbearable. Unforgivable. He can't allow this. He hast to get up. Ugh. That pain. Okay. He'll bare with it. He will bet it all on one move. One, last chance.

,,Ideo, don't!" Iruka yelled ,,It's useless, you can't fight anymore!"

,,Iruka's right!" Reika agreed ,,If you vomit anymore, you could get dehydrated! It's too risky!"

,,Nii-san, give this up!" Kai joined them ,,You did your best, it's enough!"

,,Shut up!" Ideo shouted at them ,,It's not over until I say it's over! And I still have strong will and a spirit, that won't let me go back!" he roared, gathering all the chakra he had left in his left hand. It hurt. Not enough. A red ball of chakra formed in between his fingers. It burned. Still not enough. More…

,,Fine. You're starting to show some cool jutsu. Pity it's so late" Hro smirked.

KAGE BUSHIN-NO JUTSU

PUFFF!!!

Now, two Hros were standing there. She could do kage bushin? No, no time to think about it! The pain is freaking him out. Now, charge! He ran. She formed a circle of chakra in her right hand. A whirling spiral. Lots of power, but not enough to block his attack. Her clone placed her hands on the original Hro's head. She focused. Faster, faster! Just one more step.

Suddenly, the spiral circle of chakra in her hand burst out with electricity. He gasped. Too late too stop. Electricity faced fire. Loud and noisy. With power. With heat. It was so bright. So hard to hold. Hro rapidly moved her arm closer. He tried to block it. His arm felt numb. She smirked. Her eyes. Not only veins around them. Redness. Sharingan?! But how…?! One moment. Her electricity reached him. His arm arched. He lost the grip with the ground. His entire body whirled into the air, kicked by the lighting from all sides. He yelled. He hit the wall. He fell on the ground. One last bit of vomit escaped his mouth. He couldn't move. He was numb. Yet, the pain reached every single part of his body, even the hair. The battle was lost.

,,Nii-san!" Kai ran to help his brother. Just before he could reach him, Reika came in his way.

,,Don't touch him!" she warned her friend ,,His still under voltage! It could affect you too!" she was right. Kai clenched his fist. Right, he should've remembered that. But Ideo… he was in pain. And lost so much water through all those vomits. He needed help. And he needed it urgently.

,,Here, let me check on him" Kwan volunteered. Kai stopped him.

,,Paws off! I won't let you harm him anymore!" He yelled in anger. The fact, that it was Kwan's sister, not Kwan himself, to damage Ideo, meant nothing to him. They were both from the same team. Kwan looked at Hro. She waved her head for yes. Kwan turned to Kai again. His face turned sad. As if he felt guilty.

,,I'm sorry, Nii-san" he whispered ,,I wish I didn't have to do it. But I have no choice" what? Nii-san? But wha…?

Kwan punched Kai, throwing him aside. He reached Ideo. Took him on his back and ran like crazy outside the yard.

,,Nii-san!" Kai cried, starting the pursuit. Reika and Kitoro joined him. Hro came in their way. Seals. No, wait, she can't…

KATON: GOKAKYU NO JUTSU

A gigantic fireball, much bigger than Ideo's, blocked their way. The girls made it to jump aside, Kai followed them. What?! An Uchiha jutsu?! No way!

,,You're not going past me!" Hro shouted ,,The game is over!"

,,Not yet!" yelled Kai in anger. H thanked himself for being smart enough to bring weapons for himself too. He took five kunai. Covered them with explosive notes. Threw them all as high in the air as he could.

KATON: GOKAKYU NO JUTSU

A fireball joined the kunai, causing the explosive notes to explode like fireworks, even higher than Kai placed them. Hro gasped, looking up. That blow. That glow. Oh shit.

,,Now all of the Konoha knows you're here!" Sasuke's younger son shouted, gathering chakra to rush at Hro. The encounter gave him a madman's smile.

,,Perfect!" she replied, standing in a ,,ready to go" position, as Kai, Reika and Kitoro cannoned at her, all of them boiling from anger.

…  
…………………………………………in

NOTE: Was planning to include KaReKi vs. Hro too, but guess improved Hro vs. Ideo is still good. What will happen to Ideo? What has Hro upon her sleeves? What is Itachi's plan? What made Itachi and Neji a family? Find out soon!


	6. Spawn of a devil

,,Redemption" by GreatMarta

_If I was meant to be born and grow up on the outside_

_Among thieves and bastards in dirt and in grief _

_But I guess that's what God had in store_

_So I'd learn pain and humiliation_

_Before I'm ready to appreciate love_

Episode 5 : Spawn of a devil

With a loud crack, all 10 pins lost the grip with the ground.

"Hah! Strike!" Called Naruto, jumping up like crazy. Sasuke smirked.

"Your first since we started, dobe"

"Shoot up, bakayaro!" roared the Hokage "A strike is a strike!"

The Uchiha leader just drunk his beer, giggling to himself. He still enjoyed teasing his old teammate.

"But still, the game goes to me!" Sakura pointed out, causing both men to frown. That woman's over human strength. She was throwing with such power, that no pin could feel safe. Strike after strike. Bleh.

"My turn" said Hinata, getting hold of a bowl. Unlike her companions, she didn't take the game to herself. It was just a game and they were supposed to be having fun with it. Afterall, they don't get to enjoy their free time so often. Poor Naruto would never be able to rest, if she hasn't done most of his paperwork. And Sasuke, being an ANBU squad captain, was often sent abroad for long, A and S-rank missions. He enjoyed fulfilling them. He was addicted to risk and adrenaline. So used to putting his life in danger, that nothing much was able to actually scare him.

Nothing but the possibility of someone he loved being in danger.

The explosion of a gigantic fireball immediately caught everybody's attention. The noise it made. The shine and glow. Hinata dropped her bowl. The window. It was open, to let fresh air in. So they could hear and see it so well, even if it was on the other side of the village.

An explosion above the Uchiha district.

"Oh my God" a phrase of fear escaped Hinata's lips "Children"

"Kai! Ideo!" shouted Sakura. No further thinking. They all dashed outside. Run. Quick. Quick!

Everybody knew. Everybody noticed. Common citizens knew, something bad is going on. Somebody invaded the Uchiha district. The clan was in danger. Fear. Fear filled their hearts.

But no one's as much as Uchiha Sasuke's.

Danger. His sons in danger. The future of his clan. Be strong, boys. You must be strong. You must hold on. I'll be there soon. We will come to help you.

Don't die. Don't die.

* * *

Meanwhile 

Kai, Kitoro and Reika dashed at Hro. She punched them all back. They didn't stop. They run right at her. Kai was in the middle. Hro launched at him. He slipped underneath her. The girls kicked her legs from the bottom. She lost the grip with the ground. Kai caught her arms from behind and held his foot against her neck. Reika and Kitoro caught each one leg and placed one foot each at the enemy's throat. Hro gasped. She couldn't breathe.

KA-RE-KI BLOCK

"Iruka, now! Get the other one!" Kai yelled. Iruka shivered. There still was Hro's kage bushin there. He had no chance. She was so much stronger. But Ideo. Oh, fuck!

He couldn't think. He ran. Faster, faster! You still can catch up with that guy! You can get through the clone!

The clone got in his way. He tried to side slip. She blocked him. He panicked. No. Don't think!

He activated his byakugan. So did the clone. He attacked. She blocked all the moves. Come on, concentrate, there must be an opening!

"Come on, you can do it!" Kai's shout encouraged him. He had to. He simply had to. But he was too slow. And that clone too tough.

Kai pressed his foot harder against Hro's neck. Come on, faint!

She wouldn't faint. She clenched her teeth. She clenched her fist. Byakugan on. The guy behind. She straightened one finger. Come on. Just a little more.

Suddenly, Kai gasped, letting go of one of Hro's arms. She hit his chakra point. That bitch!

Having freed one arm, the girl turned rapidly, making Kai drop her other arm too. She reached the ground with both hands and turned again, making Reika and Kitoro loose the grip of her legs. The girls jumped aside. So did Kai.

They didn't loose any time. Both Hyuugas charged at the encounter with veins around their eyes.

The Uchiha boy stayed aside. He looked at Iruka. He still couldn't get past Hro's clone. Not good. He looked at the porch. Ureshi was standing there, with his mouth wide open, and eyes out of sockets.

"Ureshi!" Sasuke's son called "Iruka needs your help, come on!" he called. The younger boy didn't even move. He was scared. Scared to death. Darn it. Kai cursed in his mind. Reika and Kitoro were attacking their opponent with gentle fist from all the sides, but she managed to avoid their hits. Fuck.

Sorry, girls. It's my brother.

Kai launched, running past the three fighting girls. His teammates will keep the enemy occupied. With Iruka keeping the clone occupied, he will be able to get through. To pursue the kidnapper. To save his brother.

Hro's clone noticed him. She knocked Iruka of his feet and threw him at Kai. The Uchiha barely avoided being hit. He had to keep on running. He still could go past her.

"Not so fast!" she called, pursuing him. Don't let her. You must be faster. Faster!

She appeared right in front of him. He jumped aside. She tried to hit him with her gentle fist. He avoided it. He jumped back.

KATON: HOSENKA no JUTSU

A fireball rain cannoned from his mouth. Hro held one hand against it. A shield of chakra appeared. So that's how she survived Ideo's Katon!

Hro ran at Kai, pushing all of the fireballs out of her way with the chakra shield. He threw kunai at her. It also didn't get through the shield. Fuck.

KATON: GOKAKYU no JUTSU

His fireball hit Hro. He will burn her. Even if she has the shield, he will kill her with the heat.

Meanwhile, Iruka joined his sister and cousin in bombarding the opponent with gentle fist. Even now, fighting three against one, none of them could reach her points.

But she could reach their. She hit Kitoro. She hit Reika. She hit Iruka.

The attack line broke. The three Hyuuga descendants were forced to jump back. They couldn't believe it. She was indestructible.

"Kuso!" cried Kitoro "How come we can't even lay one hit on her?!"

"You are too slow" replied the encounter "And you don't feel the rhythm"

"We do what?!"

"The rhythm of the battle, the rhythm of your opponent" Hro explained "Once you understand the rhythm, you know how your opponent works and you can catch him off guard. I knew your rhythm the moment you dashed at me. I can see right through all your attacks. And I can see, that you are just a bunch of brats, and no challenge for an outsider prodigy like me"

"I am the daughter of the Sixth Hokage and the heiress of the Hyuuga clan!" exclaimed Kitoro "There's no way I'm loosing to somebody like you!"

Hro frowned. Hyuuga heiress? Hokage's daughter?

"Kitoro!" Reika called "Use the Hakke!"

"I know!" Naruto's daughter prepared herself for the attack. Hro frowned even more. That stance. Could it be?

HAKKE: ROKUJUYON SHO

SLASHBACK

"Hakke: Rokujuyon sho"

The female ANBU in front of a 10 year old Hro was preparing an attack. She was already weak. Five more ANBU stood in a short distance.

"I must protect him…" she thought, brushing her long, raven hair of her face "…no matter what, I must protect him…"

END SLASHBACK

Yes. It was it. That jutsu.

Hro was ready. This time, she won't fall for it. Kitoro dashed at her. Just a little more.

HAKKE: CHIBI KUSHO

Pain reached Hro's hands. What the…? One tenketse closed?

"Two hands!" Kitoro hit Hro. She jumped back.

HAKKE: CHIBI KUSHO

Another sudden hit of pain. Another tenketsu closed. But now Hro knew. That girl. The one with long hair. She was doing a palm thrust. She was attacking from distance.

"Four hands!" Kitoro cannoned with another hit. Hro released a burst of chakra from her palm. It stopped Kitoro. But Reika continued with another blow of the long rage gentle fist. She must continue. This is darn hard, must she must continue. Together, she and Kitoro will close enough of the enemy's tenketsu.

Hro got out of Kitoro's way. The blonde girl turned at her. But Hro was faster. And performed the seals.

"Eight hands!"

TENKETSU KATSU

Suddenly, Kitoro's palms were covered with lots of small explosions. The girl gasped. Her friends gasped.

"Kitoro!"

"Nee-san!"

TENKETSU KATSU

Hro continued, this time getting Reika. Small pieces of dead skin ripped of Neji's daughters palms in a rapid blow. She cried out in pain. What is this jutsu? How the hell did she perform it?

Iruka froze. The enemy girl was now looking at him. Not good. Not good.

Her eyes were cold. Cold and angry. His expressed hopelessness and fear.

But he still didn't want to believe, that she was evil.

"Don't kill us" he cried "Please, don't kill us!"

She just smirked.

Meanwhile, Kai continued the blow. He put his entire might into the fireball. He had to burn her. He had to do this. No other way. She won't be able to keep this shield for much longer. She doesn't have enough chakra.

KATON: GOKAKYU no JUTSU

A new fireball faced the one Kai was making. It was so rapid. It moved forwards, pushing Kai's fireball backwards. O no. No way! Kai tried to block. He ran out of breath. He didn't have enough power. The heat reached his face.

He jumped aside, avoiding being hit in the last moment.

He panted heavily. No chance. That girl. She has mastered the Hyuuga style so well. And she could use such powerful fire jutsus. No. No way. No way she could be such a prodigy. It was impossible.

"I must admit" she smiled at him "You are able to produce much higher temperature than your brother. It seems that you are the stronger of the two. I acknowledge that. But neither of you are a match for me. Not enough experience. Not enough motivation" she was insolent. She was playing on his nerves. Kuso.

He heard Kitoro's scream. He turned. What was it? Her hands exploding?

He heard Reika's scream. This time, he saw it well. Explosions covering her hands. Oh shit. What was it? What was this jutsu?

"The Hyuuga squad can't perform their gentle fist anymore" noticed Hro "There's nothing more you guys can do"

Kai gave her a madman's look. Fuck. Double fuck. Why. Why couldn't they harm her? What kind of a demon was she? She was indestructible. No gentle fist, no taijutsu, no fire…

Suddenly, a realization. There was a solution.

SLASHBACK

A 10-year old Kai stood in front of his father. In the middle of a forest. He was curious. Usually, father would take Ideo on a private training. He would take both of them. But Kai alone? Not likely.

"I am going to teach you a jutsu" Sasuke said "A very powerful jutsu. It is essential, that you master it"

"And Nii-san?" asked Kai.

"Your brother is not capable of learning it" Sasuke explained "He doesn't have any lighting chakra. You do, and that's why I'll teach it to you. But you must remember" at this point, the face of the Uchiha's survivor turned even more serious than usual "That this jutsu can only serve to protect our clan. You must swear, that you will never use it against your friends, nor family, and especially not against your brother. No matter what happens, you mustn't use it, unless the life of somebody you love is in danger. Do you swear, Youkai?"

"I swear, To-san" the boy crossed his heart. He felt, as if the safety of the family was just being entrusted to him. His father trusted him. He gave him such an important, serious task. He cannot fail him.

"Well then" Sasuke decided "This shall be our little secret"

END SLASHBACK

Kai held his left arm. He focused his chakra. He turned it into lighting. This is the time. The time he'll have to fulfill his duty. The duty of a family protector.

Hro remained calm. She knew that jutsu. The guy was desperate. But he wasn't strong enough.

"Reika! Kitoro! Hold her!" Kai called. What…?

He turned back and launched with his chidori and a loud yell. His goal was the original body.

Kitoro and Reika saw it. They got up and jumped at Hro. She tried to block them.

And forgot all about Iruka. He hit her back.

Finally, they managed to catch her off guard. One second. One move. They were behind her. They held her arms back. They had her immobile

Kai kept on running. He'll get her. He'll make it. He'll still be able to pursue that other guy and save Ideo. And the backup will come soon.

Hro smirked. Kai gasped. Her chakra. It's flow. Could she…?

"Guys, jump back!" he shouted, putting his whole might into stopping the attack. Hro's body shined. Too late.

The girl exploded. The blow reached all four opponents. It blew them against the walls. They all felt the horrible heat. Shock. Pain. Surprise. How did she…? How come…?

Now, it was clear. That Hro exploded. It was a clone. An explosive clone. Then what…? Then the one here…?

"Nice show, wasn't it?" asked the Hro, who now was known to be the real body. Nobody replied her. Nobody could. They were all too exhausted.

The girl silently walked towards the point, where the explosion took place.

She was coming. In the direction of Ureshi. The boy froze. A wet spot begun to grow on his pants. She was going to kill him. She was going to eat him alive.

She stopped in front of Kai. The Uchiha boy was lying on the ground, with his whole arm numb of electricity he lost control of and body arching of the latest blow. Ideo. He failed him.

The winner picked him up by his shirt. She smirked.

"Well, well… A type of fire and lighting… Just like your brilliant ane…"

Ane? Sister? What is she talking about? She must've said ,,ani". He had no sister, just one brother. And his brother was the type of fire and wind, not fire and lighting. She is wrong. Or is that his hearing? Oh geez… He was so weak.

She placed him on the ground, on his knees, in front of her. He knew, he can't stand up to her. Even when joining his strength with two teammates, even with Iruka, even using his best jutsu. It all meant nothing to her. She was too good. And it was too late to save Ideo.

She put on oh her feet on his shoulder. What was she going to do with him? She captured his brother. Was it for money? And that whole battle… she said she wanted to check, how good the Uchihas are. It was just a cover. Their goal was to weaken Ideo, and then kidnap him. But what's now? What about him?

He heard felt her chakra. The lighting chakra. She gathered it in her left hand. No way… chidori? That sound… no.

"Heh. It's almost it" she spoke. So peacefully. As if she was trying to calm him down "But don't worry, little brother. As far as you go, the game is over. I'm the one who'll have to get through the hardest part" little brother. She called him little brother. But why? She was a Hyuuga. He was an Uchiha. He has never seen her before. But she could use Katon. Big deal, not only Uchihas know fire jutsus. Or was she playing mind tricks with him? Possibly. What was her point? What was she trying to achieve?

"What do you want?" he asked her.

"I want my father to be proud of me" she said simply. And he was even more confused. But maybe… so she's fulfilling her father's will, right. But again, what and why is it all about?

"Let go of him" a voice was heard behind her. Somebody placed a kunai against her throat. An ANBU. A whole squad surrounded her and Kai. Some helped Kitoro, Reika and Iruka up.

"Urgh" Reika let go a groan, as one of the ANBU held her.

"Don't worry" he said "Everything's under control"

She recognized the voice. She looked up at the man. The mask. And long, black hair, tied at the end.

Her father.

She fell into his embrace. She was exhausted. And now, she felt safe. At least a little safe. He was there. There was no need to be afraid anymore.

But that girl. She still had Kai-kun. And she was wielding a chidori. And he looked so miserable.

"Kai-kun" she whispered and drenched in pain. Neji looked at her, with a byakugan. Lots of her chakra points were closed. And those little, bloody wounds on her hands. Seems that his daughter fought bravely, but the opponent was on a much higher level. And she took Kai as her hostage.

"Let go of that boy" the ANBU behind Hro repeated. She remained calm.

"Not before I get to talk to Uchiha Sasuke"

The ANBU pulled out another kunai and placed it on her back.

"You are surrounded" he said "Alone against the whole squad. Surrender. Drop that attack of. And let go of the boy"

"I am not going to harm him. I will surrender, but not before I get to talk to Uchiha Sasuke" she insister, still as cool as possible.

Meanwhile, Neji scanned her. It was a Hyuuga. But not one that lived in the village. An outsider. No headband. No seal. But she wasn't a Main House member. Strange. And suspicious.

Four shadows jumped across the wall. All in rush hurry. All landed on the ground, with fear and horror in their eyes.

"Kai!" cried Sakura, seeing her son being held a hostage.

"Mama!" cried Ureshi, jumping into his mother's arms and breaking out in tears. Hinata held him tight. Naruto already was by the side of ANBU, who held Kitoro. The one holding Iruka came to them. Both children managed to cling to their father. He hugged them, saying everything's alright now.

Sasuke looked around. The enemy had Kai. But Ideo… he wasn't here. And there was no trace of his chakra anywhere near.

Oh no. No. NO.

"Ideo" his son's name escaped his lips, as he moved his sight onto the encounter. She was looking at him. A girl. A Hyuuga. With chidori. She had Kai. And she was guilty.

"Uchiha Sasuke, I suppose?" she asked politely. He felt his blood boiling.

"Where is Ideo?!" he yelled "What did you do with my son?!"

"Your son is safe and sound" she replied calmly "He is just a grant, that you would listen to the message my father wants me to tell you" she explained. A message. She has a message for him. She captured his son. She's gonna pay for this.

Hro moved her right arm, to reach for her holster. The ANBU behind her pushed his kunai harder against her back, cutting through the skin a bit.

"Don't move!" he roared. Hro stopped. She felt the cut. But she didn't seem to feel any pain.

"She really has a letter in her holster" Neji assured "You can let her take it out"

The other ANBU moved his kunai back. Hro took a deep breath. She once again reached for her holster. She slowly put her hand inside. She slowly pulled it back, holding a piece of paper. On one of it's sides a map was drawn. The other side contained a few rows of signs. She looked at the side with signs and spoke out:

"Hi, Sasuke. I want you and the current Hokage to meet with me tomorrow at midnight, in the location drew at the other side of the letter. Feel free to bring an ANBU squad with. Your wife is also welcome. I am going to be accompanied by my former Akatsuki partner Hoshigaki Kisame and my wife, a former Hyuuga. Your son is going to be there too.

I am going to keep your son for a while, as a grant that you would listen to me. As a grant of my good intentions, I'm letting you keep my daughter a hostage, until the case is solved. I am not going to harm your son. I also expect to receive my daughter back in one piece. I think such a deal is fair enough.

I wouldn't bother to bother you, if I didn't have a good reason. The village is in great danger. You have to believe me. I'll tell you about the details when you come to the meeting.

See you there. Your brother, Itachi the great"

Having finished reading, Hro lowered the letter and took a look at her uncle's face. It expressed a combination of fear, shock, anger and denial. As expected. He still needed a few seconds. Alright. It seems that's where the hard part begins.

She stopped her chakra flow. The chidori from her hand disappeared. She took her foot of Kai's shoulder.

"Go. Go to your parents" she told him. He turned his head, to look at her. He couldn't believe what he's just heard. That Hyuuga. She was an Uchiha. His cousin. She called him little brother. Her little brother kidnapped his big brother.

Spawn of a devil.

He ran. He got on his feet. He dashed at his mother, barely keeping any balanced. She took him into her embrace. He was safe. He was confused. Trying to understand, what was happening now.

Sasuke was even more confused. He couldn't get his eyes of that girl. His brother. His brother had his son. And that girl. That white eyed girl. Itachi's daughter. He had a daughter.

Spawn of a devil.

"My name is Uchiha Hro Mikoto" Hro introduced herself "Father says I look a lot like grandma. Do I…? Sasuke Oji-san?" red spots grew inside her eyes. Vines grew around her eyes. She smiled. A madman's smile.

Everybody held their breath. Sharingan. Byakugan. Together. A hybrid. A mixed blood. Two great clans. Their power united. That child. Child of the legendary criminal, the Uchiha Itachi of the Akatsuki. Child of an outsider Hyuuga.

Spawn of a devil.

Hro's eyes returned to normal. She unfastened her weapon holsters. They fell on the ground. She stood still, looking at her uncle.

"According to my father's orders, I surrender to you" she announced. Sasuke was getting hold of himself. Itachi. Kidnapped Ideo. Itachi's daughter. Itachi's genes. That bastard's genes. His son taken away from him. On the mercy of that traitor, murderer, that demon. And his spawn in front of him.

Sasuke dashed at Hro in wrath. He punched her with all his might. She lost balance. He punched her again. She bent in half. He attacked like crazy. In total madness.

"Give him back!" he yelled, slashing her face "Give! Me! My! Son! Back!" slash after slash was cutting across the girl's face. Blood escaped her mouth. Sasuke threw her to the ground and kicked her stomach. Kicked her head. She covered it with her arms. He rose his arm to prepare another hit.

Sakura came in front of him and gave him a slap across the face.

"Stop that, you idiot!" she yelled "You're gonna kill her!"

"So be it!" he roared in reply "That devil's spawn belongs to hell!"

"Bakayaro!" Naruto backed Sakura up "Haven't you heard?! Do you have any idea what might happen to your son, if you kill her?!"

Sasuke clenched his teeth. He once again looked at Hro. She didn't move. She was just breathing quietly. He wanted to kill her. He so much wanted to. To dispose of that trash. To make it burn in hell.

But he couldn't. Itachi had Ideo. As long as he had him, they had to keep his daughter alive.

The girl shyly uncovered her head. Her eyebrow ridge seemed to be broken. She was bleeding from her nose and mouth. Her cheeks were starting to turn blue. One of her eyes already was. She was breathing heavily. But she didn't fight.

She didn't look like his mother. Not at all.

"Take her to prison" he finally said "Put her in chains. Don't give her any food. Nor water. And guard her like your own sister's virginity"

He observed her reaction. She remained cool. And didn't try to fight, when the ANBU members were picking her up and tying her arms on her back.

Finally, they lead her out. And she walked steady, not showing any emotion. She just gave them one more look. A look of plain, white eyes. Now that they looked more carefully, her white eyes had a slightly darker spot in the middle. Darker than normal Hyuugas have.

Spawn of a devil.

After the squad and the hostage left the training ground, the Uchihas and the Uzumakis remained in silence. Nobody knew, what to say. Nobody knew, what to do. Nobody could fully believe, what they saw with their own eyes.

"I'm sorry, To-san…" Kai whispered "I tried"

"It's not your fault" Sasuke said, his sight directed into the open space "It's that devil's spawn. But they are all going to pay us for this. I promise"

* * *

Hro was in pain. She kept on walking, trying to ignore it. She knew he would attack her. She knew, what to expect. The road in front of her was a hard one. But she had to make it. For her family. 

Lots of people were staring at her. The Konoha citizens. They were watching, as the ANBU lead her to prison. They were whispering. They had fear in their eyes. She already was famous. If they knew the entire truth…

Hro held her head high up. She took an expression full of pride and dignity. She walked with grace, although ropes were binding her. She wanted to let the people know, that she is so much more than a mere criminal. She was on a sacred quest.

But most of all, she was a human being. Not an animal in a zoo. And nobody had the right to stare at her, as if she was one.

Yes. The road was hard.

* * *

……………………………………………………………………….… 

…………………………………………in "

NOTE: Wrote it all in two days. I have to say I really enjoyed writing the battle scene. It's much more improved than I originally planned. Geez, battles rock. Sorry it's now, but I have many other stories to write and lots of self value crisises. I think of myself as of a useless being, who is only good at drawing and writing. And foreign languages. But, whatever, you don't care, right? As long as I upload from time to time.


	7. Ideo confronts the gang

,,Redemption" by GreatMarta

_I said oh, misery_

_Shame and scandal in the family_

_I said oh, misery_

_Shame and scandal in the family_

Episode 6 : Ideo confronts the gang

Kwan ran without stopping. Through the hidden passage. Outside the village. Nobody would pursue. They would all focus on Hro. Faster, faster!

"Where are you taking me?!" Screamed Ideo, as his kidnapper jumped from one branch onto another.

"We're about to get there, Nii-san!" replied the Hyuuga boy, increasing the speed. There still was a chance, that somebody might've followed them, so he had to hurry.

"Don't call me Nii-san!" Ideo was furious. Kidnapped. He was kidnapped. By somebody about his age. A mere, dirty outsider. From his own house. And he could barely move. Everything hurt him. And now, after he took him away from home, that Kinu, or whatever his name was, had the nerve to call him Nii-san. Insolence!

"Sorry, Nii-san!" was Kwan's answer. They were already far from the village. But he kept his speed up. He couldn't stop. Not before he was sure, that it's safe. Good, there comes the big jump!

Ideo tried to look around. High trees. Middle of the night. Dark and cold. Hard to recognize the topography… no, wait, he knows…

Kwan's sudden powerful jump made Ideo feel, as if he was to throw up again. He let out a loud groan.

"Sorry, Nii-san!" said Kwan, feeling guilty. Right, he had to hurry, but also make sure he delivers his cousin safe to the hideout. He was, afterall, his hostage. Hostages deserve some care, don't they?

After a few more minutes, he landed near some rock formation. He placed Ideo on the ground. Good. It seems, that his condition is not so tragic.

"We're here, Nii-san" he said, smiling. He was really proud. He fulfilled his part of the plan, and he did it well. He actually did well. Mom and dad are gonna praise him.

Sasuke's son looked up. A wall of rock. There was a cave. And strong chakra coming from inside it. What the hell is this supposed to mean? What will happen to him? And who was this guy anyway?

"Ka-san! To-san! Ji-san!" called Kwan, scarring the life out of his cousin "I'm home!"

A black figure appeared, coming from the cave. Ideo gasped. He was scared. He was seriously scared. Holy ancestors, how could he ever allow this to happen? To fell into enemy's clutches and don't even have enough strength to fight back? He was an Uchiha heir, for God's sake! He can't die like this! He has plans for the future! He hasn't even told Kitoro, how he admires her! He hasn't even become a chunin! They can't kill him! No!

That man… It… it was…

"Well done, Kwan" the figure said, coming closer. As he entered the area, which the moonlight could reach, Ideo's eyes caught his face. That face. That wrinkles. That hair. That chakra.

The truth hit the boy in the very core of his brain. No. No way. It can't be. But that man… impossible. But those eyes. Memories. Memories of his father's stories. The pictures he showed to Ideo and Kai. The pain he was filled with, telling them about the Uchiha massacre. The anger. All those ANBU missions, during which he hoped to track down that man. His brother. The traitor. The murderer.

He's been looking for that man for his entire life. And now, that man was standing right in the very front of Ideo.

Uchiha Itachi.

As the hostage twitched in fear and disbelief, another figure revealed himself. Another man. A shark-man. Smirking in a mad way.

"Oh, so that is your nephew?" he joined his friend in staring at the captured boy "My, my, what a handsome little guy…"

"That runs in the family" Itachi replied. Itachi. Uchiha Itachi. The sage nukenin. The one, that massacred the entire clan. Standing above him. Looking at him. So simply. So out of the blue. This must be a nightmare.

"Uchiha Itachi…" he whispered in fear. The man nodded.

"So you know. Very well. It makes things easier to us" he stated simply. The sight he was giving his nephew was cold. So dreadfully cold. And it somehow expressed a deep interest. Like a jeweler, watching a precious, yet vulnerable stone. A stone he could kill with one movement.

"And I am Hoshigaki Kisame" the shark man introduced himself "I suppose you've heard of me too, right?"

Ideo waved his head for yes. Kisame laughed.

"Right! I deserve some fame! Afterall, I've been saving Itachi's butt for all those years!"

"You saving my butt?" Itachi smirked "I thought it was the other way round"

"Perhaps I should take part in the discussion?" a female voice was heard "Afterall, who knows Itachi's butt better than me?"

"Nobody, Dragon" the criminal admitted, smiling "You are the absolute butt expert"

"Especially, when it comes to kicking butt!" added Kisame with a slight irony.

"Heh. That surely is less complicated. Now, show him to me" the woman came and stood by Itachi's side. Ideo could swear, that after what he's seen so far, nothing else could surprise him.

But when she entered his field of vision, his eyes reached the size of two frying pans.

"Hiana-san?" a silent question automatically escaped his lips. The woman frowned slightly. In exactly the same way as SHE does.

"What did you say?"

"No, no, nothing" he panicked. There was no doubt. The same face, exactly the same face. Just different hair. But how could she? No. That was impossible. First the murderer uncle, then the shark swordsman, two legendary terrorists in one go, and now a clone of Hiana-san? Oh God, you're going too far!

"Kid, don't look at me this way" the woman said "You're gonna make my husband jealous"

But he couldn't draw his eyes away from her. So many similarities. About the same height. Similar figure. The voice sounded so similar too. It couldn't be a coincidence.

"You… you look very much… like a Hyuuga I know" he explained. She didn't seem to find anything suspicious in this kind of a statement.

"Big deal. Most Hyuugas look alike. Inbreed, you know"

No, he thought. It's more than this. Much more. He just didn't know how could it be. If this woman was the person he thought she was… she was supposed to be dead. At a young age. Is it possible… could she miraculously survive?

"Listen up, kid" Itachi started, finding the conversation slightly irrational "You are going to stay with us for a while. We are not going to harm you, but you'd better not try running away. Next night, I'm meeting your father, and you're a grant, that he will listen to me. Once we've solved the case, we'll return you to your parents. Is that clear?"

Ideo waved his head for yes.

"Fine. And now, I guess you'll need some medic treatment. My daughter is not an opponent, which you can afford to take lightly"

His daughter. So he wasn't mistaken. He really saw sharingan in her eyes.

He was defeated by his own cousin.

"Lay down" Ryoka ordered, kneeling by Ideo's side. He obeyed. His stomach. It hurt so much. As it he has eaten a huge amount of stones and foamed polystyrene. Now, having accepted the situation he was in, he could feel it very clear.

She examined him with her byakugan. He used the opportunity to take a better look at her face. No difference. It was the same face, 100 .

"What's your name?" he asked.

"As for you, it's Oba-san" she said, scanning his body "You're totally dehydrated. Hro must've been hard on you"

"She was awesome!" exclaimed Kwan "He didn't even manage to hit her once! She was so fast, that he couldn't even see her! She was hitting him from all directions, and he threw up three times! And when she used Rasenmaru, everybody's jaws dropped! Pity you couldn't see it!"

Rasenmaru. So the jutsu she used at the end was Rasenmaru. The spiral circle. He's never heard of such a jutsu. It looked similar to Rasengan. But it was flat. Rasengan was a sphere. And she put electricity in to it. It was a joined shape manipulation and chakra nature manipulation. But how did it work? It takes ages to learn such a thing. Only the best ninja can do it. Like Hokage-sama. Right, she used a clone to help her. The Hokage uses clones too. But in a different way. Oh boy. However she did it, she must be a greater prodigy than he thought. But then, again… she was the daughter of Uchiha Itachi.

"We knew you would do fine" Ryoka said, pulling out a scroll "You always do. Especially your sister" at this point, a bit of sadness could be heard in her tone "Poor girl"

She unwind the scroll on the ground, next to Ideo. She put her hand on it.

"Kuchiyose: Medicine box"

PUFFF

A box of medicine appeared on the scroll. This surprised Ideo. To keep such normal things in a summoning scroll? Animals okay, weapons okay, but medicine? Weird.

The woman took a small bottle and handed it to him.

"Drink it. It will ease the pain"

He took the bottle. How could he not? He drunk a bit of the liquid inside.

He immediately split it all out. Shit! What a horrible taste!

"Come on. Drink it" Ryoka encouraged him "If you don't, the pain will get much worse"

"Right, Nii-san" Kwan added "Try to imagine, that it's coca cola"

Ideo gave him a stare.

"Sorry" the white eyed boy said "I know you said you don't want me to call you Nii-san, but... but we are first cousins. And you are older. I guess it's the most appropriate if I call you Nii-san"

First cousins. The guy who kidnapped him was his first cousin. Itachi's son. Right. They looked alike. Especially the face shapes. But Kwan's face was so gentle. So friendly. So much different than his father's. He didn't seem evil at all. And was actually polite. A murderer like Itachi to have a nice son? Not likely. Yet…

"Yeah… it's fine" Ideo replied. Fine, do it, whatever. He rapidly purred the medicine inside his mouth and swallowed it. YUCK! Bleh! Gheh! Horrible!

"You are just like my sister!" Kwan laughed at him "She hates that medicine too! It was me who had to persuade her to take it, when her stomach was a mess after one battle. Poor Nee-san, she had a real depression back then. She despises loosing"

"So do I" Ideo admitted. He was supposed to be afraid. And they were supposed to be frightening. But that guy didn't seem to realize the seriousness of the entire situation. He was a kidnapper. A criminal. And he was treating him, his victim, like a good friend. That certainly wasn't right. Especially not right, considering who his father is.

The woman put her hands on Ideo's stomach. They were warm. She concentrated. She sent a bit of her chakra into his cells. He could feel the warmth overwhelming him. This wasn't a typical medical jutsu. It must be somehow linked with the medicine she gave him.

Whatever it was, it eased the pain, and that mattered.

"Kwan, you will stay close to your cousin" Itachi ordered his son, when Ryoka was done "You have to keep an eye on him. Do you understand?"

"Yes, To-san" Kwan confirmed "I will take good care of Ideo-Nii-san"

"Ideo" Itachi repeated, tasting the sound of that name "Uchiha Ideo…"

"Yes. And his brother's name is Kai"

"Your brother was less eccentric than you when picking names" Kisame pointed out. Itachi nodded.

"Indeed… Hmh… Alright. My son and nephew need a rest"

"I'll put him to bed" Kwan offered, picking Ideo up. Ideo groaned. It still hurt. Was easier to bare, but still unpleasant.

The gang exchanged "goodnights", and the youngest member directed his steps to the hideout.

"I'm going to sleep with you" Kwan told his new Nii-san, walking into the cave "I usually sleep with my sister. Poor Nee-san. I hope they won't treat her too bad. I don't want her to suffer. But To-san says there's no other way… a hostage for a hostage. If they only could forget their hatred… But after all the pain my father gave your, I guess this could never happen…"

Ideo listened to his cousin's words, fully amazed. That boy was really kind hearted. And devoted to his family. A nice guy. Or is he pretending? A fruit of a murderer's loins… hmh. But if his mother was the person he thought she was, and if she was anything like Hiana-san… yup. That would make a genetic sense then. And his sister… yes, she was exactly the type of a girl that would make Itachi's daughter.

Guess she took the lion's share of evilness, and there was not much of it left for the second child.

The cave was not very big. There was just enough place for the entire gang to sleep. Kwan walked past something, that most probably was a sleeping mating. A big one, and a double. So Itachi's and his wife's. Next to it, another big, but a narrower lied. This one must be Kisame's. Kwan stopped at the end of the cave. The last mating was about the same size as the second one. For one adult. It was fine for two children their age. That is where he placed Ideo. The matting wasn't really comfortable. But, what to expect from outsiders?

"It's not a five star hotel" Kwan said, as if guessing Ideo's thoughts "We sometimes stay by a hotel, but for most of time we have to remain on the mercy of the wild nature" with that, he sat down by his cousin "You know, lots of hunter nins are after us. We need to be careful. But mom says that if we the plan works, we will be able to stay in Konoha forever. That's great, isn't it?"

"So your plan is to live in Konoha?" Ideo asked. That was the last reason he would expect to hear.

"Yup" Itachi's son nodded "If your father allows us, that is. But first of all, my father has a very important message for the Hokage. And negotiations to do. I'm afraid he might not believe us. Two sage nukenins and an elite assassin are not the kind of people who get rusted easily"

"An elite assassin?" the hostage's eyes winded.

"That's right. My mom represents the style of the Rai-Ookami. Before she met my dad, she worked as a paid assassin and gained quite a fame under the name of Shiroi Ryu" The boy explained, bursting with pride of his mother.

"Shiroi Ryu? Your mother?" now Sasuke's son was confused.

"She herself. And people think it was a man. So funny"

Now Ideo's theory had a breakdown. He's read once about an assassin known under this name, but the scroll said that this person was a man. Well, okay, there wasn't much known about him… correct: her. Apart from that she was a high class specialist, skilled at killing from both long and short distance, using lighting type ninjutsu and also powerful ninjutsu. Yes, it would make sense for such a person to be a Hyuuga, their taijutsu was the most dangerous. But now, the genetic sense would drop off again…

But…

"Umh… Kuwa… Kawa…"

"Kwan" Kwan corrected "It's not that difficult to pronounce. First, try to say: Ka-wa-nu"

"Kawanu" Ideo repeated without any problems.

"Good. And now, the official writing with kana: Ku-a-n"

"Kuan" this one fairyly easy.

"Great!" Kwan praised him "Try to make it sort of a quack sound. Now, final round, just say it all on one breath: Kwan"

"Kwan" he said it!

"See? You made it!"

"Right… But you have an unusual name, I must say"

"At least not as unusual as my sister's. But I'll teach you to pronounce her name tomorrow, it takes more energy"

"Okay… so, Kua… Kwan. What's your mother's name?"

"Ryoka. Formerly Hyuuga Ryoka, now Uchiha Ryoka. Ryoka, not Ryoko, remember"

Ryoka. Her name was Ryoka. This was her. Somehow, it was that person. Hiana-san's sister.

So she did live. She survived and grew up. She became a high class ninja. And she married his uncle.

Oh boy.

He didn't know, what surprised him more: the fact, that a child of two weak parents could go this far to get a place in ,,Assassins of the time" book, or the fact that the sister of his parent's good friend ended up with his father's terrorist brother.

Man, this world is small.

"Well" Kwan lied down "I guess it's time to get some rest. But remember not to try running away. My father will notice, no matter how careful you are. Besides… if you return to the village… you father will no longer have a reason to keep my sister alive" his expression turned gloomy. Ideo was hopeless. He promised that he'll behave himself. He was not in the condition to try running away yet.

Besides… it would mean having sentenced his cousin, who was also the cousin of his good friend, to death.

No. Ideo was not Itachi.

……………………………………………………………………….…

…………………………………………in "

NOTE: The chapter is short. The school started again. I'm feeling down and alienated. Things are not going good.

But, people, seriously: 5 people have an alert on this story, FIVE people, yet 1, only ONE, reviewed the last chapter. Okay, I don't expect much, but you other four could at least submit something like: "Good chapter" or "I liked it" or "That's getting exciting", or if you don't like it, tell me what don't you like so I knew what to improve. I really want to give you the best I'm able to make.

I suck at everything but writing, drawing and foreign languages. I just need to know that I am good at something.

(InnerGM: Looser, they hate you and they think your story sucks)

Well I certainly hope InnerGM is not right…


	8. The delegation

,Redemption" by GreatMartaHow can you say I mean nothing after all I have done How can you treat me as if were nothing more but a trash

_I fear your sight_

_There is no respect for my life_

_When will you finally understand_

_That I have heart_

Episode 8 : The delegation

Everybody knew.

It was six o'clock in the morning and first newspapers became available already. People could read about the incident, which took place the night before. According to the information sources, Uchiha Sasuke's son Kai, as well as Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata's children have been wounded in a battle against a girl, who most propably belonged to the Hyuuga clan. Some said, that Uchiha Sasuke's other son, Ideo, was kidnapped, and that the kidnapper was a Hyuuga boy.

The atmosphere in the village was burning. There was no end to rumors. Was it an attempt on the life of the Hyuuga heiress? Did the Hyuuga Branch House plan it? Was Ideo really kidnapped? And for what reason? So far, neither the Uchiha, nor the Hyuuga comment.

Hordes of journalists and commoners occupied the Hokage Tower. The representatives of the most powerful ninja clans have already entered the building to attend the Council Gathering. None said a thing.

"Hokage-sama! What is your children's condition?!"

"Sasuke-sama! Did the kidnapper contact you yet?!"

"What really happened that night?! Is the village in danger?!" questions surrounded the old team 7, as they were making their way thorough the crowd. Neither Naruto, nor the Uchiha couple answered. They couldn't. Not now.

"There's no need to panic!" the blond Hokage roared impatiently "You'll learn everything in the right time!" he assured, praying that he was saying the truth. The memories of the times of the war against the Akatsuki were coming to life in front of his eyes. He could not allow such a hell to repeat. Never again.

Sasuke was furious. He wasn't able to get any sleep tonight. His son. His firstborn son on the mercy of Itachi. This couldn't be happening. Ideo. How could he ever let this happen? What kind of a father was he? He wasn't there, when his son was taken away from home. Away from him. No. He cannot loose him. He loves him too much. He wouldn't bare to loose another one of the people he loves. Never again.

Sakura did her best to remain calm. She didn't close her eyes for much longer than her husband tonight. Her brain was too full of thoughts. Kai was safe, and so were his friends. She healed their wounds enough for them to be able to go home. But those wounds Reika and Kitoro had… it looked, as if something exploded underneath their skin. Their opponent. That girl. Itachi's daughter. She really was dangerous. But she was their key to retrieving Ideo. Yes. They had to interrogate her. And make sure Sasuke doesn't kill her. Through that girl, they were going to find Itachi. And put an end to their suffering. Once and for all.

Meanwhile, inside Hokage's Tower

"Hurry up, Shikamaru!" the slim blonde woman called, rushing through the corridor "The meeting is about to start!"

As if unaware of her demands, a tall man with his hair tied in a pineapple walked slowly, keeping a tired look on his face.

"There is no need to hurry" he stated "We still have good five minutes. And I can assure you, that Naruto is not yet present"

"But everybody else surely is!" the woman insisted "And I don't want to be the last to appear!"

"Right, right…" Shikamaru nodded. He wasn't in mood for arguing. And especially not with Ino. When she started to talk, she was unlikely to stop, until the interlocutor admitted she was right.

Like Ino expected, the conference room was almost full by the time she and Shikamaru have entered it. The taijutsu masters Maito Gai and Rock Lee have come over an hour ago, and Lee's wife, the weapon mistress Tenten (Or Rock Ten, as they nicknamed her) joined them not much later. The representatives of the Hyuuga clan, featuring old Hiashi, his both daughters and nephew took the best spot of the room. Ino could recognize the members of the Akimichi, Inuzuka and Aburame clans, as well as some non noble, yet skilled warriors. Finally, her eyes stopped somewhere in the far corner of the room. By a middle aged woman and a young man.

The woman smiled, as she noticed the two former students of her deceased lover approach her. She had long, raven hair, parted with a few gray strikes. Her face covered signs of a long life, one rich with all kind of ninja experience.

"Ino, Shikamaru, how good to see you" she greeted them warmly "Young man" she turned to her son "Say hello to our friends"

"Hello" muttered the young man, barely giving the newcomers a tired, annoyed gaze. They exchanged smiles. It always amazed them, how much his face reminded of the one of his father. If he only grew a beard… Even with those crimson eyes of his mother, even with her type of hair, which he kept tied in a ponytail, that boy seemed to them as a living statue of the man they called teacher.

"It's been a while, Kurenai-sensei" said Ino "If the circumstances were different, we'd ask you and little Asuma…"

"Iori" hissed the man "My name is Iori. And I am not little" he said, clearly offended. He wondered if they would ever learn, that he hates being called his father's name.

"Gomen yo. You must forgive us, Iori-kun" Shikamaru turned to the younger man "It's just that you…"

"Nevermind" Iori didn't let him finish. He was tired of hearing that he looked too much like HIM.

"Iori, a little manners" Kurenai reprimanded her son. He muttered something in reply, that one could interpret as ,sorry, mom". He knew that this wasn't the right place, nor the right time to start an argument. Afterall, people said that the Uchiha's kid was kidnapped and the other one badly injured. In fact, Iori couldn't care less about the noble kids, but if they decided to gather the council straight after the attack, then there must've been more to this than just Uchiha's personal business. Possibly, this was just a small step in some evil genius' big plan of taking over the whole Konoha. Neh, boy, don't let your imagination get out of control. You cannot know what is going on, until Hokage announces it. But where the hell is he?

Suddenly, the door opened again. Everybody's gazes went to it. But, to their disappointment, the person who appeared was no one of the old team 7. Moreover, the newcomer represented the least appreciated of the villages elite ninja clans. Long collared jacket. Sunglasses. The mysterious aura. The Aburame.

Aburame Shino crossed the distance between the door and the spot of the room occupied by his family in his usual, graceful way, unaware of the anxiety he just triggered in one certain person.

"_Oh shit!_" Inuzuka Tetsu thought nervously, as THAT MAN came near "_What is he doing here? He was supposed to be on a mission for three more days!_"

"Oh, Shino-kun" Tetsu's mother Hana, the leader of the Inuzuka clan, smiled at the newcomer, obviously happy to see him "Finished your mission so soon?"

"I just returned a couple of minutes ago. And I see I happened to have a perfect timing. I would never forgive myself if I missed my son's first Council Gathering" with that, he turned to Tetsu, making the boy shiver "Congratulations, Tetsu. I'm proud of you"

"Umh… Thanks… dad…" "_Drats! Go sit with your clan! I beg you!_"

"This year, you turned fifteen and became a chunin" Shino went on "You have worked hard and earned the honor of joining the elite of Konoha Gakure. As you will now learn, this honor is inseparably connected to responsibility. I do not yet know, what threat will we have to face, but whatever happens, we will protect our village. And we will protect it together, side by side. Like best friends"

Shino's speech was interrupted by the entry of the Rokudaime Hokage Uzumaki Naruto and his two teammates. All of the assembled shinobi stood up, paying their honors to the village authority. Tetsu sighed in relief, sincerely grateful to the Rokudaime. One thing he hated more than being lectured was being lectured in front of a crowd. His father really didn't seem to ever have heard of "privacy".

Now, with the head of the village present, the meeting could start. Having taken his place and ordered the people to sit down, Naruto cleared his throat and spoke up.

"My friends, I am not going to pretend everything's under control" he announced "Previous night, two strangers came to our village. One of them kidnapped Ideo, son of my most trusted comrade Uchiha Sasuke, and the other one seriously injured the rest of the kids present at the Uchiha district, including Sasuke's other son Kai, my three children: Kitoro, Iruka and Ureshi, and Hyuuga Neji's daughter Reika. Fortunately, all of them are alive and in stable condition. We have also managed to capture the girl who attacked them. She told us, that she and her brother were ordered by their father to take Ideo, so Sasuke would agree to go to a meeting with him, which is supposed to happen tonight. According to that father, the village is in danger and that's why he needs to contact Sasuke. Is the situation clear?"

"In fact, it's not" Inuzuka Kiba stood up "If this whole father wants to tell us about some danger, then what the hell does he need to capture Ideo for? I don't believe his good intentions at all"

"Besides" Hyuuga Hiashi added "I have heard that both invaders were members of our clan. It is essential that this rumor is explained" quite a few people agreed with the old Hyuuga, knowing how important this matter was to the entire case. Naruto hesitated for a second. His father-in-law might very possibly demand the right to take the girl under direct control of the clan. Perhaps it would be safer for her, considering how cruelly her uncle has treated her so far. But if her mother would turn out to be a Branch House member, Hiashi was sure to give her a curse mark. The girl was an Uchiha, but knowing Sasuke, he wouldn't have anything against the Hyuugas torturing her. Sighs. This could end up badly. Really badly.

"Both invaders were born from a Hyuuga mother" Naruto confirmed. Now he will have to tell them about the father. He took a gaze at Sasuke. He was staring at the desk in mad frustration, with his fists clenched. He now rose his head to look at the crowd. The task of revealing the girl's father's identity was up to him.

"And their father is a former member of the Akatsuki. It is my brother: Uchiha Itachi"

The word "Akatsuki" struck everybody like a thunderbolt. No, like a chidori. Many gasps of fear and disbelief filled the air. Many shivers ran down many spines. Whispers turned into a buzzing wave. And the echo of memories from 20 years ago added power to it.

"Akatsuki? No way!"

"Those guys all died out!"

"You gotta be kidding!"

"Holy shit!"

Naruto let the participants of the meeting express their various feelings for a few more seconds, deciding it'd help them calm down. He observed their faces and the observations weren't doing him any good. The fear of less experienced chunins. The anger of his age group. The tension and worry of famous professionals. The sorrow of those, who linked the organization with the death of their beloved ones.

The sorrow hurt the most. Especially in case of the people he knew so well. Kurenai-sensei… she seemed really moved. She bit her lip nervously. Her sight was unfocused. A drop of sweat ran down her face. Her son Iori was looking at her, half worried and half confused. She grabbed his hand hastily. He gasped. She tightened the grip. Her expression turned firm, but still trembling. Naruto knew, what she was thinking. And it boosted his own determination and anger. The case of Itachi must be solved, before anybody could get killed because of it.

"Alright guys, enough of this!" the Rokudaime roared at the gathering, full of his usual daringness "One of our fellow ninjas fell into clutches of Itachi! We must save him!"

"What we must do, it to get rid of the Akatsuki bastard!" a rusty haired man from the Inuzuka clan yelled.

"Right! Let's slaughter that son of a bitch!" Kiba agreed with his cousin.

"Don't you fucking dare say my mother was a bitch!" Sasuke revolted with his face turned red.

"Hokage-sama! Let's send an ANBU squad to beat the hell out of the traitor!" a young woman from back of the room called.

"We must be careful! He's got the poor child!" another young woman reminded.

"But WE've got HIS child!" Maito Gai, who was sitting next to her, exclaimed, making her turn in surprise "That is a huge advantage!"

"He's got our Ideo and we have his daughter. What advantage there is to that?" Hatake Kakashi asked, calm and stoic like always. As one of a few people gathered in the room, we didn't let his emotions show.

"We can trade that girl for Ideo!" Gai announced, as excited as if he's just discovered a new land "No father would ever bare the thought of his precious little girl being held hostage by an enemy village!" with that, he grabbed the young woman he scared a while before and pulled her into a powerful hug.

"Geez, dad! Take it easy!" the victim yelled, trying to break from the embrace.

"If anybody ever tried to take you away from me, Yui-chan, I'd do everything to get you back! I'd pay all money in the world! I'd eat my own socks! I'd even kill myself!"

"Aww! A love between a parents and a child is so indescribably beautiful!" Gai's former student Rock Lee cried, deeply touched by his sensei's declaration.

Hell lot of people sweat dropped.

"And what makes you think that terrorist gives a damn about his daughter?!" some one of the jounins asked.

"And how do you know it's his only daughter?" another one added "How do we know the two invaders were his only children? If he has ten of them, he wouldn't hesitate to risk loosing one" he pointed out.

"I object!" Rock Lee shouted "That man might be a terrorist, but he is also a father! There is no way he wouldn't give a damn about a fruit of his own loins! Even if he's a merciless murderer and traitor of our village, he must have some kind of feelings! Unless he's not a human!"

"Enough of this bullshit!" Sasuke roared, unable to stay still anymore. The discussion was starting to turn into some kind of nonsense. His son's life is in danger and those idiots pull on the debate on Itachi's feelings. What the fuck is wrong with those people? Oh, whatever! "I don't care for what my fucked in the ass brother thinks of his shit of a daughter! Cut this bullshit off and get serious!"

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura turned to her husband with irritation "Your concern for Ideo doesn't give you the right to just insult our comrades like this! Your brother is the enemy of us all, and we all have to figure out how to deal with him!" she reprimanded.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan!" Sasuke growled in reply, obviously agitated "But what do you suggest we should do then? Enlighten me!"

"Itachi said you could bring an ANBU squad with, right?" Sakura reminded, slightly touched by her husband's sarcasm "In that case, we should decide, whom shall the squad compose of" she announced with new strength filling her eyes. Another wave of whispering broke out, but much steadier than the previous one.

"That's a great idea, Sakura-chan!" Naruto admitted, thankful to the woman for giving him a base to push the debate forwards. He greatly admired her sharp brain and even sharper tongue. It made her a valuable ally. Not to mention the ability to keep Sasuke teme in line.

"Shikamaru" Mrs. Uchiha turned to the most intelligent person she knew "Uchiha Itachi claims, that he wants to talk, and not fight. We can't tell, what his intentions are, but at his point, we have to remain cautious. He has informed us that he has two comrades: Hoshigaki Kisame, who used to be his partner in the Akatsuki, and a Hyuuga woman who bore his children. He might have more people, but we don't know if he really does. He demanded that the current Hokage attends the meeting. With Sasuke and I, that makes three. Whom else would you like to suggest to take part in the quest?" she asked.

Everybody's eyes went to the man considered to be a genius. Nara Shikamaru closed his eyes and scratched his head. He needed a few seconds to think. Being a lazy and peaceful person, he avoided unnecessary trouble, but most of the assembled ninja knew just how dangerous he could be when he put his fantastic brain into action. As a strategist, he stood second to no one in the entire village.

"Uchiha Itachi wants a meeting with the village authority and his brother" Shikamaru repeated "He has Ideo for a hostage, and we have his daughter. Which means both sides are unlikely to start a battle just like that. However, there is a possibility that he might just be trying to lure you into a trap. If he has more people, he could make them all transform into the ones you selected for your squad and return to the village in their places to infiltrate or destroy us from the inside"

"Holy ramen! That's possible!" Naruto cried. He would never come up with a scenario like this. Geez, that Shikamaru surely is smart. Good to have him on his side.

"There are many such troublesome possibilities" Shikamaru continued "So, we have to prepare ourselves. As for the squad… Sakura is a medic-nin, so she'll be fine. Then, since we are going to confront a Hyuuga, we must also include a Hyuuga. Somebody who could match her and possibly recognize her. Hiashi-sama, whom do you delegate?" this question was quite pro forma, cause the answer was obvious to everybody.

"I, Hyuuga Hiashi, delegate my most skilled shinobi: Hyuuga Neji, for the mission. I also ensure that our records are checked to find the mother of Uchiha Itachi's children among the women who deserted from our clan" he announced. Hyuuga Neji stood at attention, awaiting further commands.

"Thank you very much. I'd guess the age group between 35 and 45" Shikamaru advised the old Hyuuga leader and went on "Next, a possible opponent for Hoshigaki Kisame. Of our people, I can remember one, who proved to be able to match him" with that, the genius' gaze stopped on the hyperactive Maito Gai. As much as his way of being annoyed Shikamaru, he had to appoint him for the quest "Gai-sensei, are you up for the challenge?"

"I'm up for any task that could save my home village!" the man declared "However, for such kind of opponent, only the best ninja should be assigned. And I humbly admit, that as far as taijutsu goes, the best specialist is my dearest student: Rock Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!" Lee was taken aback "Please don't be so humble! You stay second to no one! You are the greatest taijutsu master in our entire history! I am as much as dust at your feet!"

"No, Lee!" the old man protested "I have been the best till some point! I have taught you everything I know about taijutsu, and you put your whole heart into learning it! Even though you were unable of mastering ninjutsu and genjutsu, you never gave up! You showed more enthusiasm than any other student, and your hard work made you grow to be the absolute master of taijutsu! A champion like none before you! Lee, you are much stronger than I was 20 years ago! You are young and overfilled with skills! Sasuke-kun could rely on you far more than on a veteran, who has his best times far behind! Don't you feel it, my student? Don't you see? You are the best!"

As the old master spoke, the younger ninja's eyes filled with tears of gratitude, pride and embarrassment at the same time, and most of all admiration for his brilliant teacher.

"I… I will not let you down, Gai-sensei!" he cried, unable and unwilling to hide all of his strong emotions. One enemy he will never defeat.

"I'm counting on you, Lee! Everybody is counting on you!"

"I won't let anybody down! I'll kick this Kisame guy's sorry behind in your name, Gai-sensei! In the name of everybody who had to suffer because of him!"

"Lee! I'm proud of you!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

The master and the student embraced each other and a fountain of sincere tears escaped flew down their faces.

Lee's wife hid her face in her hands.

Gai's daughter thought of committing seppuku.

Hell lot of people sweat dropped.

"In next turn" Shikamaru said, trying to ignore the embarrassing scene "We have to choose a genjutsu specialist, since that's what Itachi is likely to fight with, if a fight breaks out. And I can think of at least two: Yamanaka Inoji and Yuuhi Kurenai"

The two mentioned stood up. The man was about the same age as Naruto and his friends. Being tall, slim and blond haired, he looked very similar to Ino. But he tied his long hair in braid, while she had a pony tail. What seemed a little extraordinary was his shirt, and more precisely it's color: pink.

"If I may say something" Inoji started "I would advise you to choose Kurenai-sensei over me. She has fought Itachi before. Apart from that, she has a stronger motivation, as she lost the father of her child, may the Lord shine upon his soul, to the Akatsuki. My age is no advantage, since we, genjutsu users, rely on our minds more than our bodies. Kurenai-sensei is better suited for the job. That's all I have to say" at the end, he bowed to the Hokage respectfully. Kurenai's expression became firm.

"I, Yuuhi Kurenai, accept the mission. And I promise to do my best" she declared. Her son was looking at her in deep surprise. She couldn't be serious. To be willing to face somebody linked with Akatsuki? That Akatsuki, the organization responsible for the death of the man she loved? He couldn't understand it. He didn't want to understand it. The ones directly responsible for killing his father were already dead, so there was no need to avenge him anymore. So why the hell? That Inoji, that coward! He dared suggest that a woman in her fifties takes his place in the squad that was going to face that bloody Uchiha and darned Hoshigaki, son of a bitch! Such insolence! Oh no, Iori was not going to allow this, no way!

"I object!" he exclaimed, burning with anger "Yamanaka Inoji is better suited for this mission than my mother!"

This sudden eruption appeared to be a huge surprise, especially because Iori was Kurenai's son. A son should be supporting his mother rather than discourage her from taking a mission. And he clearly stood against her will.

Kurenai didn't say anything in reply. She just stared at her son in disbelief. She knew he wouldn't be happy with her participating in a meeting with a former Akatsuki, but he should understand it was her duty and she couldn't refuse to fulfill it. They were ninjas, and their life revolved around risk. At age of 19, Iori had to understand it.

Shikamaru didn't like the young man's reaction either.

"What makes you think so, Iori-kun?" he asked, not hiding his annoyance.

"What makes me think so?" Iori hissed. He didn't have any real arguments, apart from his personal concern for his mother, but quickly made up one that could do "And what made Maito-san refuse to join the squad? He knows he is too old for such kind of mission!"

"Pardon me!" Maito Gai revolted "I am NOT too old, and I will NEVER be too old for any kind of mission! I refused, because I know Lee would do better than me! A good ninja will remain a good ninja throughout his entire life! Your very own grandfather, the honorable Sandaime Hokage, was a hell lot fitter at age of 70 than most lazy, ignorant, self-centered, disrespectful youngsters are nowadays! And yes, that goes to you too, young man!" the taijutsu master pointed at Iori, instantly turning into a statue of parental guidance and the defender of justice and widely recognized values. And this time, nobody sweat dropped.

"Maito-san made a good point…"

"…he sure is right…"

"…if only Asuma could hear his son…"

"…we can't forget the Third…"

"…he must be so disappointed…"

The newly triggered wave of whispers only build up Iori's rage. How dare they judge him! How dare they say what his father would think of him?! His father is dead, goddamned it! He never did and never will think anything of him! If anybody is to blame, it's the Akatsuki, not him! Fuck with that!

"I AM NOT an ignorant!" he cried out "I'm just speaking my mind! And my mind is that the genjutsu specialist vacant in the squad for this mission should go to Yamanaka Inoji, as simple as that!"

"Okay people, let's set things right!" Naruto felt it was a right moment for him to interfere "If there is a difference in opinion among us, let's vote! Who else thinks that Inoji is a better choice than Kurenai-sensei? Raise your hands!" he ordered.

Iori looked around the room with hope. But it seemed that he was alone in his opinion.

Of course, people wouldn't trust Inoji. Not only wasn't he as famous as Kurenai and commonly considered weaker than her, but also owner of a beauty salon. How could a man who loves cosmetics and fashion designing be considered serious in a society of tough machos? Besides, people of his age group could still remember that throughout most of his teen years he went by the name of Yamanaka's Trash. A dropout with his only talent being genjutsu.

Right. There's no way they would choose him over Kurenai. Not a chance.

"I guess it's decided: Kurenai-sensei will be our genjutsu specialist!" Naruto smiled, happy that the delegate had the approval of almost everybody in the room. Her son seemed to have chilled out a little and understand that there's nothing he can do to change the verdict of the council. Good for him. It's not smart to defy the will of the majority.

Shikamaru felt a little sorry for Iori, whom he felt responsible for and who didn't seem to be okay with what was decided. He had promised to always be watching over his deceased sensei's son and tried to act like a father figure to him. Seeing the boy's behavior made him doubt his teaching policy.

"_Gotta talk to him later_" he decided and returned to completing the squad "Alright then. What would be useful is somebody capable of fighting at long distance, since the delegates so far do better in close rage combats. Any volunteers?"

"Got one!" Gai and Lee both exclaimed, each holding one arm of the weapon specialist Tenten. The woman froze.

"Hold it!" she tried to protest "Don't I get anything to say in this matter or what?!"

"I'm sorry, Ten-chan" Lee apologized immediately "What would you like to say?"

"Well, first of all, I can stand on my own, thank you" she freed herself from the two men's grasp "Secondly…" she stopped for a moment and directed her words to the Hokage "If the Council approves of me, I'm willing to go for it"

"Good girl!" Gai complemented her.

"Great! Any objections?" Naruto asked the crowd. Apparently, there was none. This time, it went smoothly.

"So far, we've got the old team Kakashi and old team Gai" noticed Sakura. "Plus Kurenai-sensei"

She thought that it might seem suspicious that all of the chosen delegates happened to be Naruto's close friends. He might be accused of favoring them. But, no the other hand… nobody protested. And it was Shikamaru who decided whom to include. Perhaps it wasn't anything so extraordinary after all. People who know each other well will cooperate better.

"Talking Kakashi…" Naruto started "It would be good if we took him as well. He is the expert at sharingan and all this stuff! Nobody from outside the Uchiha clan knows it as well as he does! Right, sensei?"

"Right" Hatake Kakashi admitted "I might be a useful addition to your team"

"Not might! You will for sure, sensei!" Naruto exclaimed, excited by the opportunity do carry out a mission with his old teacher. He still looked up to this man and enjoyed being able to work with him.

"For once, I agree" Sasuke said. He didn't express as much sympathy for Kakashi as his teammates did, but highly respected his skills, experience and patience for such spoilt brats like the three of them. Yeah, poor guy must've gone through a literal hell with them. At this point, Sasuke felt some sort of guilty because of the trouble he caused when he decided to join Orochimaru, but he knew he needed to leave his friends it in order to truly appreciate them. Each has to find his own way and learn on his own mistakes. That's what he believed in. No lectures will ever match experience.

"That makes eight so far" Sakura noticed "I guess we just need one or two more people. Working in a bigger group might be problematic"

"And will make us look weak" Shikamaru agreed "We'll turn out to be a bunch of cowards. With nine people in the team, we'll be in advantage three on one. No need for more"

"Alright then. Pick the last person and let's finish this" Sasuke demanded. He doubted that advantage 3 to 1 was enough, but more people would seriously be getting in his way. And he was not going to share the opportunity to kill his brother with anybody. It was his revenge. Now more than ever.

"The last person shall be a tracker" Shikamaru decided "In case we are unable to get Ideo back tonight, the tracker will be able to find him afterwards. The best scenario assumes us getting hold of Ideo without having to trade him for the girl. That way, Itachi will loose his advantage and we will keep our. That won't be easy to put into action, since the boy must surely be well guarded, but we can't waste any opportunity"

"I love it when he's hotting up!" Ino whispered to Kurenai.

"He indeed has grown up to be a man of a great value" the older woman admitted "Despite his laziness, lack of good will and sloppiness, he is able to see many things that others can't. It's just sad that he can only be truly appreciated in times like this" Ino's inside shivered, as she felt that the teacher was making an obvious reference to her relationship with Shikamaru. Alright, things haven't been so good between them over the last couple of weeks, but it wasn't that bad. After all, they have always been getting onto each other's nerves, which sometimes led to periods of separation. And they always returned to each other after the separation. Was it really so abnormal that they needed to give themselves some rest from time to time? Even their children knew that there was no need to panic over their father moving to his parents or friends and didn't seem to suffer because of it. It really wasn't that bad. Or was it? No. Nothing this sort. Can't think like that. It's not perfect, but it's not bad. Yup, only a little extraordinary, that's how it.

"Inuzuka Nioi volunteers for the mission!" the red haired cousin of Kiba announced "I am the best tracker in the clan! Ask anybody and they will admit it!"

"Umh" Kiba nodded. He wanted it or not, Nioi had the most sensitive nose among the Inuzukas, surpassing even the leader Hana. Perhaps it would be easier to accept his talent if he wasn't so insolent and full of himself, but a modest and humble Inuzuka was as rare as a four leaved clover. They all had daringness and self-confidence in their blood. Hana was an exception, and thanks God since she eventually earned the leadership of the clan. The supposed heir, their first cousin, turned out to be a lesbian and the elders decided that Hana would do better.

"Thank you very much, Nioi-san" Shikamaru answered "But sincerely, I think an Aburame tracker would do better"

"WHAT?!" a good amount of people gasped in amazement.

"I have already learned that their tracking methods are no worse than those of Inuzuka" the Nara genius explained "When an Aburame manages to leave a bug on his opponent, he will find him everywhere. Itachi probably expects us to try finding Ideo by scent, so he might as well do what is necessary to change his scent. But he won't be able to apply this to a bug, I suppose. And I bet he won't be expecting us to use an Aburame tracker rather than an Inuzuka tracker. Another advantage for us I'd say"

Everybody had to admit that Shikamaru made a good point. As much as the Inuzukas were proud of their tracking skills, they were just too obvious. An enemy orientated in the Konoha's clans would not expect confronting a tracker from the Aburame clan. It really seemed to be a good option.

"Shibi-sama" the strategist turned to the leader of the Aburame clan "Whom do you delegate for the mission?"

"_Perfect_" Tetsu thought "_Whom would grandpa choose if not his own son? Dad is in close relationship with the Rokudaime, there's no way he's not getting this job_"

But Tetsu's assumptions turned out to be wrong, as Aburame Shibi announced his decision.

"In behalf of the Aburame clan, I, Aburame Shibi, delegate my grandson: Inuzuka Tetsu, for the mission" "_Great, just as… WHAAAAAT?!_"

"Oh, really?" Shikamaru raised his eyebrow "I wasn't expecting this kind of a candidate"

Tetsu was too shocked too realize how angry he was. What the hell was his grandfather thinking? To delegate a 15-year-old, a recently promoted chunin to a team of respected heroes supposed to confront S-rank terrorists? What kind of retardation it takes not to realize how idiotic such a suggestion is?

"You cannot be serious, Shibi-sama" Sasuke supported Shikamaru "Your grandson is 15 years old, isn't he?"

"Yes, one year senior to your sons, Sasuke-sama" confirmed Shibi "But the point is he is a half Inuzuka and half Aburame, thus has the skills of both. It makes him the best tracker, as he can rely on his own nose and on his bugs"

"Well excuse me!" Inuzuka Nioi revolted "What bugs are you talking about? I have never once seen Tetsu using any of them!"

"Just because you don't see something doesn't mean it doesn't exist" Shino confronted the red haired "Tetsu received his bugs at age of 3 and is capable of using them. But a good ninja knows better than to reveal all of his best moves when there's no need to. Wouldn't you agree, senpai?" he used a polite form, as Nioi was one year his senior. Tetsu's anger was starting to dominate over the shock. Darn it! Just what he needed! To let everybody know he's a living hive, just like his father and the rest of the long collared clan of emos! Why not be a little louder? You know how I love it when you embarrass me in front of others, dad! Fuck you!

"Oh, best moves?" Nioi laughed at the bug user "Good joke! Tetsu was raised to be an Inuzuka! One thing he has in common with the Aburame is his hair!"

"You are wrong!" Tetsu's grandmother: Aburame Kaho, a crazy tall woman with curly hair tied in two fuzzy ponytails revolted "We made sure our grandson has learned the history and customs of both his parents' clans. The only reason he uses the Inuzuka style rather than the Aburame style is because he formally belongs to his mother's clan. But he DOES know how to put his bugs into good use, and he knows it hell well" she stated. A few other Aburames, including her husband, gave her thumbs up.

Just great, yet another family member to support this bullshit. The truth is he hates those goddamned bugs and has no idea how to control them. Sure, he did take lessons with his father and some other Aburames, but in fact learned nothing. He didn't want to be a bug user. Cause, seriously, how can you communicate with something so small? How could something with such a tiny brain understand what you say? And how the hell could anybody interact with bugs? Dogs are different. They are smart, loyal, and never turn against their human partners. Just like Tetsu's own Eikichi. Eikichi always knows when Tetsu is sad. Whenever the poor boy has a nightmare, the faithful dog is there by his bed and licks his hand. When you look in Eikichi's eyes you just know he understands everything you say. You can see he listens and cares. And those little creatures? They are nothing but trouble. And a terrible, buzzing wave, that sucks away his health, giving nothing but pain in return. If only he could let go of them… to be free…

"_That would be so beautiful_" Tetsu thought, painfully aware of this would never happen "_Without them… I'll go blind_"

"Yeah right! And I can control my shadow!" Nioi's sarcasm pulled him back to reality "A brat like him doesn't deserve to fulfill a mission by Hokage's side, no fucking way!"

"This "brat" is my son" the leader of the Inuzuka clan drawled, letting her cousin know she's loosing her patience "And your future lord. Even if he is not ready for the honor of going on a mission with the Hokage, he surely deserves your respect, so you'd better show it, younger cousin" she warned him. At this point, Tetsu felt unsteady. If his mother takes part in the discussion, it means the worst is yet to be heard.

"Then maybe it'll be better for me to die before you, Hana-Onee-sama!" Nioi didn't seem to take his supervisor's words seriously "No offence, but your son is an Aburame's…"

"Finish this sentence, Nioi, and I'm cutting forever your chances of conceiving a son" Hana firmly blew him off, but Tetsu knew too well what was his uncle going to call him "_An Aburame's shit. That's what I am_" at moments like this he didn't know, whom to blame more: mother, because she didn't take her pills, or father, because he forgot to check the validity date of his condoms.

Nioi flinched. It seemed Hana has used the right argument.

"Fine. Whatever" his tone expressed surrender "I gave up my hopes for a son anyway. Another pregnancy could kill my wife, you know how fragile she is. And each of our two daughters is as crazy as five normal boys, so deciding on another one seems like a suicide to us. I can as well surrender to your judgment. But not today. I am deeply sorry for disrespecting you, Hana-Onee-sama, and for disrespecting your son. I dare to ask your forgiveness" with that, he bowed to Hana. The apology was obviously insincere and sounded like a weak joke, but Lady Inuzuka wasn't very demanding.

"Forgiven this time. But you'd better watch your tongue, Nioi" she growled. Her cousin bowed even lower.

"I will. But I'm afraid I'm not the only one who disapproves of our current successor. No offence" the red haired said and returned to the sitting position. For a few more seconds, Hana kept on piercing him with a murderous gaze.

Tetsu sighed. If he only was normal…

"Now, that your finally done with your personal matters…" Sasuke's annoyed tone broke the silence "…how bout you delegate a real tracker, not some mere teenager? I don't want to waste time on some nonsense, so make it quick!" he demanded. Sakura and Naruto felt ashamed of him, but had to admit he had a point. The case of Inuzuka Tetsu wasn't the point.

"If you disapprove of my grandson…" Aburame Shibi sighed "Let me delegate my son instead. He is no teenager and no rookie. I believe you have nothing against him"

"That's more like it" Sasuke said. Nobody dared to question Shino's skills. Finally, the squad was completed.

When the team completed, everything went smoothly. Naruto decided, that they should meet today at 22.00. in front of the ANBU headquarters. The clan leaders were ordered to remain cautious and put extra guard on duty. Shikamaru instructed the families of the delegates what to do in case the enemy manages to capture them and send his agents on their place. Not much later, the meeting was over.

And much to Tetsu's annoyance, his paternal grandparents decided to "cheer him on".

"I'm sorry, Tetsu" Shibi said to his grandson "It must've been painful to listen to that ignorant uncle of yours. But you shall not worry. Nioi is a fool with unfulfilled ambitions and that's it"

Tetsu felt like ripping his grandfather's throat of. It was HIS fault! HIS idea! He started by suggesting he should be their tracker! Goddamned old idiot!

"Your grandfather is right" Kaho agreed with her husband "And not only Nioi, that Uchiha Sasuke was also very rude. He shouldn't underestimate you just because you're so young. You are not the strongest guy around, but surely the best tracker. You are special, Tetsu. You mustn't forget that"

Special. He was special? No, hell no. He was a freak. Inhabited by bugs. A living hive. A disaster. And why? Because of them. This crazy clan. Those weirdos. He wasn't one of them. He wasn't an Aburame. He was an Inuzuka. Inuzuka Tetsu, the future Lord Inuzuka. He was normal. Normal. Normal.

He felt his skin tear apart. The buzzing. The bugs. They were moving. Again. Running underneath his skin. No. No. No!

"Of course he is special!" Hana suddenly touched her sons shoulder. It made him shiver "He has his father's wisdom and his golden heart"

"If he's anything to be proud of, it is because of you, Hana-chan" Shino caught Tetsu's other shoulder. The boy shivered even more. Their touch. The bugs felt it too. They were moving. He couldn't stand it.

He brushed his parents' hands of his shoulders. Without a second thought, he ran away.

They called his name. But he wouldn't listen. He wanted to be alone. Alone with his shame. Away from the family he hated. Away from everything they reminded him off. Off his own curse.

More than anything in the world, he wanted to be normal.

……………………………………………………………………….…

………………………………………………………………………….

NOTE: Aburame Kaho belongs to Lithe Fider, see my favorite authors.

And pray for me! I'm having A level exams right now! The final year high school is over! Pray for me please! If I don't get to university, I don't know what I'll do!


	9. Announcement

ANNOUNCEMENT

Let me apologize, to begin with. I know you're gonna curse me, but I need to inform you that:

A – I am going to rewrite this story (yet again). The plot presented so far won't change much, but there are some things I have to adjust.

B – I have planned a series of fanfics, and I suppose I should be writing them in chronological order rather than the other way round, which I have been doing till now.

C – Some characters are going to be renamed (the main cast, unfortunately). I'm still not sure about it, but I want to make the names more Japanese-like. You are free to express your opinion about this idea in an anonymous poll (see my front page).

The changes would include (I only mentioned the characters I have managed to introduce in this version of the story):

Kitoro – Kintoki (because I've realized the "ro" usually only stands in male names)

Iruka – Hisato (cause he's a Hyuuga and cause both Naruto and Minato have names ending with "to")

Hro – Hiryu (cause this is no Japanese name at all)

Kwan – Kyosuke (same as above)

Ideo – Shintaro (sounds better)

Val – Boken (see Hro and Kwan)

Thank you for your attention.


End file.
